Two new bills introduced in the King’s Speech 2026 threaten criminal sanctions and heavy fines for ticket touting, with EURO 2028 and the Women’s World Cup bid firmly in the government’s sights.
The UK government has unveiled two pieces of legislation targeting industrial-scale ticket touting as part of The King’s Speech 2026, marking the most significant legislative push against the secondary ticketing market in the country’s history.
The Draft Ticket Tout Ban Bill and the Sporting Events Bill together form the government’s most comprehensive attempt to tackle industrial-scale ticket touting, which it estimates costs fans £112m ($151m) annually and leads to typical secondary market mark-ups exceeding 50%.
The Ticket Tout Ban Bill would make it illegal to resell tickets for live events above their original face value, cap service fees charged by resale platforms, and prohibit individuals from reselling more tickets than they were originally entitled to purchase.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) would be empowered to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover on platforms found to be in breach, with the government arguing the measures will destroy the operating model of industrial-scale touts entirely while still allowing genuine fans to resell tickets they can no longer use.
Government analysis suggests the measures could reduce the average resale ticket price by £37 and return 900,000 tickets per year to primary sellers. The secondary ticketing market is currently dominated by a relatively small number of operators, with the 200 largest resellers estimated to account for around 50% of ticket sales by value on resale platforms.
Sporting Events Bill puts EURO 2028 at the centre
In support of the Ticket Tout Ban Bill, the Sporting Events Bill creates a UK-wide criminal offence for ticket resale at events such as UEFA EURO 2028, which the UK and Ireland are co-hosting.
The bill would also protect commercial rights by prohibiting unauthorised association with designated events and restricting advertising and trading around venues, as well as introducing statutory transport planning requirements to reduce reliance on voluntary arrangements.
Though currently framed around EURO 2028, the government is considering extending similar rules to other major events it is seeking to host. The UK is also bidding for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2035, and the Sporting Events Bill is explicitly designed to strengthen the country’s hand when bidding for future tournaments.
Debbie Hewitt MBE, Chairwoman of the Football Association and UK & Ireland 2028 (host nations for EURO 2028), welcomed the legislation, saying the measures would “help protect supporters and keep the event accessible” and that the bill strengthens the UK’s ability to secure future global events and create opportunities to develop grassroots sport.
The moves come against a backdrop of growing global scrutiny around ticketing practices, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino defending market-rate resale around the 2026 World Cup, which has drawn significant criticism from supporters worldwide.
Business Secretary Peter Kyle has previously described the government’s ambition as looking to “smash their model to pieces” in reference to industrial-scale touting operations, and the dual-Bill suggests ministers are intent on closing the loopholes that have allowed the secondary market to operate largely unchecked.
The Ticket Tout Ban Bill will be published in draft for pre-legislative scrutiny before being formally introduced, while the Sporting Events Bill moves forward as primary legislation.
