The purchase of tickets on the secondary ticket market in excess of the maximum permitted using an electronic communications network or service

Secondary ticketing

The Digital Economy Act 2017 (“the 2017 Act”) introduces a new power to introduce a criminal offence of purchasing tickets for a recreational, sporting or cultural event in excess of the maximum permitted (Section 106 of the 2017 Act). The intended offence addresses the use of automated software to purchase tickets for a recreational, sporting or cultural event in excess of the maximum set by event organisers and will apply to tickets bought using automated software for events in the UK, but cover activity to obtain tickets that occurs outside the UK.

The offence will be summary only, with a maximum punishment of an unlimited fine in England and Wales, and an exceptional summary maxima in Scotland.