TOKYO (CelebrityAccess) — Japan’s Diet passed legislation that bans the resale of tickets for concerts and sporting events in online marketplaces for more than the face value of the ticket. The new law also bans acquiring tickets with the intent to resell them.
According to Japan Today, violators of the new law will face potential sanctions of up to a year in prison and fines of up to ¥1 million (about $9000 USD) for violating the law.
The new regulations cover tickets that designate seats or the names of spectators in advance. The law also requires event organizers make an effort to identify ticket holders.
While physical ticket resales or ‘ticket brokering’ on the street and other public places had long been barred by local ordinances and regulations, the Japanese government had imposed no such restrictions on online sales.
The legislation passed Japan’s House of Councillors unanimously on Saturday after being passed by the lower house last week, with support from both ruling and opposition legislators.
The new ticketing rules comes as Japan prepares for the the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics in 2020. The organizing committee of the Games had called for tougher regulations in order to prevent profiteering from tickets to the high profile event.
