Ticket Resale. The cap that may not bite.
The UK wants to ban reselling tickets for profit. It may not make your night out any cheaper.
THE GIST ON TICKET RESALE: "The UK's Ticket Crackdown"
What is the government proposing?
Ministers want a rule that you can only resell a ticket for its original cost, with platforms enforcing it. It is the government trying to decommodify tickets: stop them being an asset you can flip and return them to being access to entertainment.
Why do touts make money?
Scarcity. Take away the bulk buying and the markups and there's no model to extract cash from you. It is the government stepping into live entertainment to stop it behaving like a mini financial market.
Will it work?
The catch is that if you kill the secondary market, you embolden the primary one. The money might move into the original ticket price, VIP packages, or a platform that is totally unregulated. Sadly, it might not make your night out cheaper in the end.
Should you be allowed to resell a ticket for profit?
Your take. One tap, then see how everyone else voted.
Quick answers
What is the proposed rule?
Tickets could only be resold at original cost, with platforms enforcing it.
What could go wrong?
The money could move into the original price, VIP packages or an unregulated platform.
Why do touts profit?
Because of scarcity.
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