A bill that would ban the resale of tickets to live events, matches and concerts at a price above face value is to include special provisions for the Euro 2020 football championships next year.

The Government decided yesterday (29 September) to approve the drafting of the Sale of Tickets (Cultural, Entertainment, Recreational and Sporting Events) Bill 2020, brought forward by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar.

Anyone found guilty of an offence under the act would face a fine of up to €100,000 or up to two years in prison

'Ripped off'

The bill contains an exemption for amateur sports clubs and registered charities for fundraising purposes.

The Government says that the bill is listed as priority legislation for this Dáil term, meaning it is expected to be published before the end of the year.

“This is about making sure people aren’t getting ripped off once live events, matches and concerts get up and running again, especially considering [that] numbers are likely to be restricted to begin with,” said the Tánaiste.

Euro 2020

The bill bans the unauthorised sale of tickets for Euro 2020 matches next year. Four of the tournament’s games are due to take place in Dublin. “We want to make sure everyone gets a fair shot at getting tickets at face value,” he said.

The proposed legislation is based on a private members’ bill brought forward by deputies Noel Rock and Stephen Donnelly in 2017, and supported by the previous Government. This received all-party backing during its second reading in the Dáil in early 2019.

Venues

The measures in the bill would apply to events in designated venues with a capacity of 1,000 or more, but the minister may also decide that smaller venues could be covered if tickets were likely to be sold above face value at their events.

Secondary ticket sellers will be required to provide information on the original sale price of the ticket or ticket package, and the location of the relevant seat or standing area. The operators of secondary ticket marketplaces will also have to ensure that this information is provided by secondary ticket sellers.