Goodbye Scalpers? House Bill Penalizing Ticket Scalping Filed

Are we saying goodbye to scalpers? A bill that aims to prohibit and penalize ticket scalping has been filed in the Senate.

Photo: Unsplash

The Senate Bill 2873 (SB 2873), also known as the “Anti-Ticket Scalping Act,” was filed by Senator Mark Villar in response to the growing issue of ticket scalping in the country. This bill aims to address the practice of scalping, which has become increasingly prevalent as concerts and live events continue to surge in popularity—with over 150 concerts held in the country this year.

“The rising popularity and prevalence of concert scenes reflect the upward trend of the recreational appetite of Filipinos which in turn helps drive the local economy,” Villar said.

“However, the increase of demand in events or performance and the surge of concertgoers have also brought about a number of challenges, including the proliferation of ticket scalping or the practice of reselling admission tickets at an inflated or predatory price—undermining the consumers’ right to fair access to entertainment scenes and encouraging price gouging,” he added.

Former senator Kiko Pangilinan expressed his full support for the bill.

“Lubhang napapanahon at kailangang maisabatas ang Senate Bill No. 2873 ni Senador Mark Villar sa lalong madaling panahon ang panukalang ito dahil isa ang Pilipinas sa mga paboritong destinasyon ng mga sikat na singer at iba pang performer (The enactment of Senate Bill No. 2873 by Senator Mark Villar is both timely and urgent, as the Philippines has become one of the favorite destinations for popular singers and other performers),” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The lawyer stated that a national law penalizing scalping should be in place, especially since ticket selling is now conducted on digital platforms and automatic resellers are widespread.

“Mahalaga rin na makilahok ang mga kaukulang ahensiya ng gobyerno para mabigyang katiyakan ang mga manonood na maayos at malinaw ang proseso ng pagbili ng ticket (It is also important for the relevant government agencies to participate to ensure that viewers are provided with a smooth and transparent ticket purchasing process),” he continued.

SB 2873 prohibits the following activities: offering, hoarding, selling, distributing, buying, dealing in, disposing of, or otherwise acquiring admission tickets for entertainment events, without written permission from the authorized event producer, organizer, and distributor, obtaining and reselling tickets by more than ten percent (10%) higher than the face value price of the ticket. It also penalizes the financing, managing, or operating ticket scalping activities on a larger scale.

The bill also allows the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), as well as the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to file cases against scalping.

Under this bill, scalpers will face larger penalties depending on the number of offenses:

• First offense: P100,000 fine and/or imprisonment of six months
• Second offense: P250,000 fine and/or imprisonment of one year
• Third and subsequent offenses: P500,000 and/or imprisonment of three years

Additionally, individuals found guilty will face a fine ranging from P50,000 to P250,000 and/or imprisonment for six months to one year if they do the following activities:

1. Offering and/or selling admission tickets for entertainment events without providing the face value of each ticket
2. Selling admission tickets on any platform other than the authorized reselling platform
3. Willfully aiding or abetting ticket scalping as defined under the bill
4. Willfully attempting to commit any offenses considered as ticket scalping as defined under the bill

If the offender is a corporation, the penalty may be applied to the company’s directors, trustees, stockholders, members, officers, or employees responsible for the violation. For the third and subsequent offenses, they may face a fine of up to P500,000 and/or imprisonment of up to three years.

As of now, the prohibition of scalping only exists in specific cities like Quezon City, Pasay City, and San Juan City through local ordinances.

With major events and live performances usually held in venues such as the Mall of Asia Arena, SMX Convention Center, Cultural Center of the Philippines, and World Trade Center, Pasay City has implemented Ordinance No. 192 S-1993 to penalize scalpers and repeat offenders. Scalpers can face fines of P5,000 while repeat offenders may face imprisonment with a minimum sentence of six months.

Meanwhile, Quezon City has also implemented Ordinance No. SP-2744, S-2018 as event venues such as Araneta Coliseum, New Frontier Theater, and Skydome are all in the city. Scalpers can face fines of P5,000 or a year in prison while repeat offenders will be automatically sentenced to both a year of imprisonment and a fine of P5,000.

Similarly, San Juan City has ordinances against scalping, with FilOil Arena and San Juan Coliseum located within the city.

Unfortunately, no ordinance penalizing scalpers has been passed in Bulacan, where the Philippine Arena is located. In October, a scalper who sold heavily inflated tickets to an influencer at Olivia Rodrigo’s concert was apprehended by police outside the venue. However, he was not arrested due to the lack of ordinance.

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Whose concert are you attending this month? Tell us in the comments!