Ticket Sales

The Ticket Sales Act protects Saskatchewan consumers by regulating ticket sales to entertainment and sporting events. The legislation ensures that ticket resellers cannot acquire tickets to events before they go on sale to the public, and that "local" residents have the first chance to buy tickets.

The Ticket Sales Act applies only to musical, dramatic, and sports events held at the 7 major event centres in Saskatchewan: Casino Regina, Casino Moose Jaw, Credit Union Centre (now known as the SaskTel Centre), Evraz Place, Mosaic Stadium, the Saskatchewan Centre of the Arts (now known as Conexus Arts Centre), and TCU Place. The Act does not include fundraising or educational events.

For information about ticket sales select from the options below.

 

• Difference between a primary and secondary seller
• Consumers should be wary
• First hour of sales rule
• Advertising restrictions
• 48 hour rule
• Signs that tickets may be fake
• Buy with a credit card
• Possession of tickets rule
• Use of computer software
• Exemptions
• Remedies and sanctions
• Report illegal ticket sales
   

 

 

Differences between a primary and secondary seller

A “primary seller” means a person, other than a secondary seller, who is engaged in the business of making tickets available for sale, and includes the owner of the place to which a ticket provides admission, the promoter of the event occurring at that place and any agent or broker of those persons. (ex: Casino Regina and Moose Jaw, Mosaic Stadium, Evraz Place, Ticketmaster)

A “secondary seller” means a person, or any agent or broker of that person, who is engaged in the business of making tickets available for sale  that have been acquired in any manner and by any person from or through a primary seller. (ex: StubHub, Vivid Seats, Ticketmaster verified Resale).

Consumers should be wary of purchasing tickets

Consumers should be wary of puchasing tickets if:

• The name of the seller is not recognizable or is similar to a common ticket seller name with some spelling differences;
• There are spelling errors 
• Currency is listed as something other than Canadian dollars; 
• Concert and event information is incorrect;
• The ticket may be available for purchase earlier on the secondary site than advertised on the venue’s webpage or primary seller’s site; or,
• The ticket is advertised at a significantly higher price than advertised by the venue or primary seller.
  
   

The first hour of sales rule

For concerts and dramatic events, the primary seller can sell tickets only to people in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, North Dakota and Montana (jurisdictions that share a border with Saskatchewan), until the end of the first hour where tickets are sold to the general public for the first time. For sporting events, the primary seller can sell tickets only to persons living in Canada, until the end of the first hour where tickets are sold to the general public for the first time.

The first hour sales rule does not apply if (a) the purchaser agrees to pick up the tickets within Saskatchewan; or (b) the tickets are paperless tickets.

 

Advertising restrictions

The primary ticket seller cannot advertise or post links to secondary ticket sellers (also known as "ticket resellers") as part of any sale of tickets. Legitimate ticket exchanges are exempt from the advertising restriction, but only for consumer-to-consumer sales, and the advertising or posted link must be sanctioned by the artist, promoter, sports team, or sports league involved.

 

The 48 hour rule - selling tickets obtained from a primary seller

No person other than the primary seller can resell, advertise, or list for resale, any tickets to an event until at least 48 hours after a primary seller made the tickets available to the general public. The 48-hour rule applies at all of the 7 major event centres in Saskatchewan.

After 48 hours, the legislation does NOT prohibit advertising or reselling tickets, and it does not place any controls on the price for which tickets can be resold.

 

Signs that tickets may be fake

If you buy from a resale site within the first 48 hours, tickets might be fake.

Tickets may be fake if:

• listed for sale without specific seat numbers; and,
• listed in U.S. dollar amounts for a Canadian show.

 

Protect yourself - buy with a credit card

If you buy from a resale site and get a fake ticket, it may be easier to get a refund by purchasing tickets with a credit card compared to cash or debit. Read the terms and conditions on the card to understand what protections are available.

 

Possession of tickets rule

No person can sell, advertise, or list for sale, in any manner, any tickets to an event in Saskatchewan unless the tickets are in the person's possession or control.

 

Use of computer software

The Act makes it illegal to use computer software to automatically buy tickets. No person can use or sell software to avoid or defeat any of the following on a ticket seller's Internet website:

• a security measure;
• an access control system; or
• a control or measure that is used to ensure an equitable ticket buying process.

 

Exemptions 

• Tour operators who provide packaged tours are exempt from the 48 hour rule. A "packaged tour" means the provision of a ticket, plus another service connected with the event (e.g., transportation, accommodations or meals).
• Tour operators who provide packaged tours are exempt from the requirement to have physical possession of the tickets before they are sold.
• The Saskatchewan Roughriders are exempt from all provisions in the Act with respect to their football operations. However, this exemption does not allow the Roughriders to put on a concert or other event that is not related to football unless they comply with the legislation.
• Grey Cup ticket allocation is exempt because tickets are allocated to teams across the country before they are printed.
•  A sporting or musical event is exempt from the Act if:
      (i) it is a competitive event; and 
      (ii) participants in the event include participants from across Canada,
      from outside Canada or from both within Canada and outside Canada;
      and
      (iii) in the case of a sporting event, the event is not a regular league
      event or a playoff event organized by or in conjunction with a sports
      league;
• The Act does not apply to persons using software to obtain tickets for an event to be held at a location other than a prescribed event centre.

 

Remedies and sanctions

A consumer seeking a court injunction, an order of specific performance, compensation for a loss of an amount greater than $30,000, or a class action, must commence the action in the Court of Queen's Bench. A consumer who has suffered a loss as a result of a contravention of the Act may commence an action in Small Claims Court if the loss is $30,000 or less.

The court may:

• order restitution of any money or other consideration given by the consumer;
• grant an injunction restraining the person from continuing to contravene the provision;
• make an order of specific performance against the person;
• make any other order the court considers appropriate; or
• award the consumer damages in the amount of any loss suffered because of the contravention, including exemplary or punitive damages.

If convicted of a first offence, individuals can be fined up to $5,000, or imprisoned for up to one year, or both; and companies can be fined up to $10,000. For each subsequent offence the penalty for individuals is a fine of up to $10,000, or imprisonment of up to one year, or both; and a fine of up to $500,000 for companies.

 

Report illegal ticket sales

If consumers wish to file a formal complaint about ticket sales, they can contact the Consumer Protection Division toll free at 1-877-880-5550 or by email at consumerprotection@gov.sk.ca