AusLeisure

Following fan outrage over inflated secondary ticket sales at recent events, Hong Kong Government Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has advised that she is looking to crack down on the secondary ticketing market by making scalping illegal at Government-run venues.

Over recent weeks, fans have been angered by high secondary ticket prices for comedian Dayo Wong and Taiwanese band MayDay and sold them for inflated prices.

As a result, Lam advised yesterday  that she was considering making amendments to the laws that cover ticket sales in Hong Kong to make scalping a criminal offence.

Quoted in the South China Morning Post newspaper, Lam advised “the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will evaluate the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance to see if it can be expanded to cover the government premises, so as to make ticket scalping a criminal offence.

“It will also consider whether to raise the punishment.”

It has been suggested that the Hong Kong Government combat the reselling of tickets online and require show organisers to allocate more tickets to the public.

A HK$280 ticket for Wong’s performance appeared on resale site Viagogo for more than HK$1,200, while tickets for other shows have been regularly resold online for five times more than their face value.

Dayo Wong (pictured) said on Facebook that this was “outrageous”, and angry fans urged the government to introduce a “real name registration” system to stop the problem from recurring.

Ticket scalping is technically a criminal offence at private Hong Kong venues that hold entertainment licences, but the punishment under the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance limits it to a fine of just HK$2,000 for an offence. 

19th March 2018 - LPA LAUNCHES VIDEO TO HELP ONLINE TICKET BUYERS AVOID SCAMS

16th March 2018 - MAN ARRESTED OVER SALES OF FAKE TICKETS FOR ED SHEERAN BRISBANE CONCERTS 

1st September 2017 - GOOGLE URGED TO BLOCK ONLINE RESELLERS WHO DUPE TICKET BUYERS

28th August 2017 - ACCC COMMENCES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST TICKET RESELLER VIAGOGO

8th August 2017 - LPA RELEASES GUIDE TO HELP CONSUMERS AVOID TICKETING SCAMS 

4th April 2017 - TICKETMASTER UNVEILS NEW TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE FANS’ TICKET BUYING EXPERIENCE

7th December 2016 - OVERSEAS AUTHORITIES INTRODUCE ANTI TICKET SCALPING LEGISLATION

19th July 2016 - HONG KONG LIFEGUARD UNION STRIKE LEADS TO CLOSURE OF BEACHES AND SWIMMING POOLS

14th March 2013 - HONG KONG MUSEUM OF ART ANDY WARHOL EXHIBITION GREETS 200,000TH VISITOR

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.