Senate bill penalizing ticket scalpers filed

Is this goodbye scalpers?

File photo: TWICE

Protecting consumers from exploitation

Senator Mark Villar has filed a bill that seeks to penalize those involved in the illegal selling and/or buying of admission tickets through unauthorized sales channels.

Senate Bill No. 2873 seeks to impose a prohibition on ticket scalping by setting regulations on the purchasing and selling of tickets. The proposed measure aims to protect consumers from exploitation and guarantee fair access to events of their favorite artists or performers.

In the explanatory note, Villar noted that in 2024 alone, at least 154 concerts are scheduled to happen in the country. He also cited a survey by VISA that said that 38 percent of Filipino respondents have attended concerts over the past 12 months, locally or internationally, coming in the top five in the Asia Pacific.

However, this trend has also led to the proliferation of ticket scalping or reselling tickets at an inflated price. Currently, only some areas such as Pasay City and Quezon City have their own ordinances against these practices.

The bill listed acts that will be considered as ticket scalping whether committed online or in person:

Offering, hoarding, selling, distributing, buying, dealing in, disposing of, or otherwise acquiring admission tickets for entertainment events, without written permission from the authorized event producer, organizer, and distributor, for the purpose of reselling for more than 10 percent higher than the face value price of the ticket.

The bill stated that the 10 percent increase will undergo periodic review and updates by the implementing agencies.

The proposed measure also prohibits financing, managing, or operating ticket scalping activities.

Penalty for ticket scalping range from PHP 100,000 to PHP 500,000 and/or imprisonment.

For the other offenses under the bill, the penalty ranges from PHP 50,000 to PHP 250,000 and/or imprisonment.

The bill is currently pending at the committee level.

What do you think guys?

Source: Senate