The Victorian Government is planning to expand its anti-scalping laws to include some live music events, while also making it an offence to resell a ticket for more than its face value.
As News Corp Australia reports, Victoria is working on an overhaul of its Major Sporting Events Act, which would also make it applicable to some music events.
The changes would also give police and security guards new search powers and the ability to ‘seize and retain’ tickets if punters are kicked out of shows or knocked back at the gate. They would also give police and security a wider space outside venues in which they can hit scalpers with fines.
The changes could lead to tougher fines on scalpers and secondary ticket sellers who jack up the prices of tickets, including online businesses which operate in the secondary ticket market.
Sports Minister John Eren says the Government is “working with our stakeholders to develop a blueprint that stops scalpers in their tracks, improves safety and boosts security at all major events”.
A discussion paper about the proposed changes has reportedly been sent to Victoria Police, ticketing agencies and stadium officials, who have supposedly been asked to provide feedback to the Government.
In March, the Australian Senate passed a motion calling for ticket scalping ‘bots’ to be banned, after ticket reselling websites Ticketmaster Resale and Viagogo were referred to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) by consumer advocacy group CHOICE.
Each Australian state currently has its own approach to ticket scalping, as there’s no national consensus on how to fight it.
