Proposal for Anti-scalping Legislation in Singapore to Keep in Check Black Market for Concert Tickets
Ministry of Trade and IndustrySpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Ong Teng Koon’s proposal to implement anti-scalping legislation modeled after other jurisdictions to protect consumers from market manipulation. Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing stated that ticket resale is generally allowed as prices are set by willing buyers and sellers, though event organisers can prohibit transfers or conduct identity checks. He explained that current policy focuses on promoting fair trading and consumer education, with recourse available through the Consumers Association of Singapore, the Competition and Consumer Commission, and the Police for fraudulent activities. The government believes this approach balances consumer protection with market forces and will continue to monitor international trends to determine if future legislative changes are necessary.
Transcript
66 Mr Ong Teng Koon asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Ministry will consider the anti-scalping laws of other jurisdictions, for example the Major Sports Facilities Act (Queensland, Australia), the Digital Economy Act (UK), the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance Act (Hong Kong), the Securing Paper Distribution of Entertainment Tickets Act (Japan), and similar legislation in more than 10 states in the United States; and (b) whether the Ministry will study the implementation of such legislation in Singapore to protect the interests of consumers from market manipulation by scalpers.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: Generally, there is no prohibition against the resale of goods and services in Singapore, including concerts and sports events tickets, subject to the terms and conditions of the event organiser. The margin which resellers can command is freely determined between willing buyers and sellers.
Event organisers can prohibit resale. Some have put in place measures to curb the unauthorised sales of their tickets. These include printing the names of event goers on tickets and stating clearly that the tickets are not transferrable. Event organisers may also conduct identification checks and void tickets which have been sold by unauthorised sellers.
The Government's approach on consumer protection is based on promoting fair trading by businesses and helping consumers make informed purchasing decisions. We encourage consumers to take steps to protect themselves before making their purchases. Consumers who are purchasing tickets of concerts and sports events can, for example, check the terms and conditions of such tickets carefully before making their purchases, and compare the resale price with the original price of the tickets. If consumers are unsure about the legitimacy of the tickets they are about to buy, they should approach the official event organisers for verification to avoid paying for a ticket which may be subsequently voided by event organisers.
If consumers have reason to believe that suppliers have engaged in unfair trading practices in the sale of tickets, for example, false and misleading claims, they can approach the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) with details of these practices for CASE to assist them in seeking redress from the suppliers. The Competition and Consumer Commission is also empowered with investigation and enforcement powers under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act to take action against errant suppliers who persist in unfair trading practices. The Police can also investigate if there is fraudulent activity involved in the sale of tickets.
We assess that our current position strikes an appropriate balance between protecting consumers and allowing market forces to operate. We will continue to monitor international developments and the experience of countries with anti-scalping laws and adjust our position if necessary.