The Quebec government has introduced sweeping new legislation designed to protect consumers from predatory ticket resale practices and frustrating subscription services. Tabled on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, the bill takes direct aim at the controversial secondary ticket market, often dominated by platforms like Ticketmaster.
Cracking Down on Ticket Scalping
The proposed law would make it illegal for anyone, including individuals, to resell tickets for more than their original face value without explicit permission from the event's organizer. This closes a significant loophole in Quebec's existing 2011 legislation, which only applied to merchants and allowed individuals to sell tickets at a markup on resale platforms.
Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette, the bill's author, stated the goal is to ensure ticket buyers "get value for their money." The practice of scooping up tickets only to resell them at inflated prices forces fans to either pay exorbitant sums or miss out, a situation the government aims to end.
Under the new rules, when resale is permitted by an organizer, resellers must provide clear disclosures. Buyers must be informed they are on a resale platform, that tickets may be available for less from the original vendor, and they must see the original ticket price, the vendor's name, and the name of the last ticket owner. Resellers would also be required to notify buyers of any changes to an event's time or location.
Transparency and a Ban on Transfer Fees
The bill also introduces a ban on ticket transfer fees, eliminating an extra cost often levied on consumers. MNA Kariane Bourassa, who researched the issue, condemned ticket resellers as a "parasite of the cultural industry," arguing they profit "off of (artists') backs."
Minister Jolin-Barrette acknowledged that some event organizers may still allow above-face-value resales as part of a commercial strategy. "They still have the ability to do that," he said, but emphasized that "they have to do it honestly and transparently."
The legislation has extraterritorial reach, applying to resellers operating outside Quebec, a measure intended to prevent the problems faced by other provinces like Manitoba, which scrapped its markup ban in 2023 after out-of-province vendors circumvented it.
Simplifying Subscription Cancellations
Beyond ticketing, the bill addresses common frustrations with online subscriptions. It mandates that merchants offering cancellations without cause must provide "a readily-identifiable button" to cancel a subscription online. "It's not normal to have to navigate a digital labyrinth to cancel a service you no longer want," Jolin-Barrette remarked.
Additional protections require merchants to give consumers notice between two and ten days before a promotional subscription rate expires and any added fees must be clearly indicated. The bill also bans contract clauses that prohibit consumers from writing reviews.
Catalysts for Change
The push for stricter laws gained momentum after several high-profile incidents. In 2023, free admission vouchers for a memorial honoring Quebec singer Karl Tremblay were listed on resale sites for up to $500, an act Bourassa called "the straw that broke the camel's back."
More recently, British singer Olivia Dean publicly criticized Ticketmaster after resale prices surged for her 2026 Montreal tour stop, prompting the platform to cap prices at face value and issue refunds for markups.
This comprehensive bill now moves through Quebec's legislative process, promising significant changes for consumers and the event industry if passed.
