The UK is moving closer to a potential ban on ticket scalping, as the competition regulator has backed government proposals to limit resale prices.
In a setback for platforms like Viagogo and StubHub, which legally generate hundreds of millions annually by reselling tickets for music events and more, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has, for the first time, endorsed a cap on secondary ticket prices. While reselling tickets for concerts and theatre performances remains legal, this measure would effectively prohibit the practice. Some touts have previously faced jail time for using fraudulent tactics, though not for reselling itself.
The UK’s Competition & Markets Authority has endorsed a price cap on ticket resale. That could mean more of the money spent on live events makes it to artists and venues, rather than predatory third parties. pic.twitter.com/XhwTSrSCts
— Future of Music Coalition (@future_of_music) March 24, 2025
Labour included a price cap of up to 10% above face value in its 2024 election manifesto, responding to widespread frustration over professional resellers and ticketing platforms inflating prices for sought-after acts like Ed Sheeran and Oasis. The proposed policy posed such a significant threat to ticket resellers that many of the UK’s most active touts convened in secret to strategise against it. However, the CMA’s strong endorsement could be a decisive factor in whether the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) follows through with implementing the cap.
Previously, the CMA had stopped short of recommending strict price controls, instead focusing on enforcing existing consumer protection laws, even taking legal action when necessary. But in a submission to a DCMS consultation, the watchdog highlighted persistent issues in the secondary ticketing market that continue to harm consumers. These include large-scale, sometimes illegal, bulk purchases by touts, failure to provide accurate ticket information, and “speculative selling” – a deceptive practice where sellers list tickets they do n to yet possess, gambling on securing them later.
These CMA argued that a price cap would “shield consumers from excessive resale prices,” provided it was rigorously enforced. It also emphasised that the government must crack down on violators, including those reselling tickets on social media platforms, where consumer protection laws are often lacking. They also cautioned that resale platforms might respond by raising booking fees to offset lost revenue, stressing that any new legislation must include provisions to prevent this.
Adam Webb, from the music industry campaign group FanFair Alliance, described the CMA’s stance as a significant shift in the fight against ticket touting: “They clearly acknowledge that this industry remains plagued by unlawful activities. If properly enforced, a price cap would deal a major setback to Viagogo and its suppliers.”
A 2019 CMA report revealed that Viagogo and StubHub sold 1.9 million tickets in the UK that year, totalling £350 million in sales, with more than half resold above face value. StubHub International pointed to research from Bradshaw Advisory suggesting that regions enforcing resale bans or price caps – such as Victoria, Australia and Ireland – experience ticket fraud rates nearly four times higher than the UK. It warned that if UK fraud levels rose to match those figures, consumers could face £1.2 billion in annual fraud-related losses.
