Tokyo Panel Approves Bill To Ban Scalping Preceding 2020 Olympics

A bill has been approved in Japan that would ban ticket scalping at events leading up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

According to Japan Today, a lower house panel approved the bill and the legislation is expected to pass the House of Representatives this week before moving on to the House of Councillors. The bill prohibits the resale of tickets for more than its original amount, and violators can face either jail time of a fine of up to 1 million yen. Ticket holders may also be required to show identity at future events.

The country didn’t previously have a rule against online scalping, but ticket brokering on streets outside of public events is banned under local ordinances. While scalping will be prohibited with this bill, individuals will still be allowed to resell their tickets in case of scheduling conflicts.

Tickets to the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, set to take place from July 24 to August 9 in 2020, will go on sale next year. Over the summer, venues and ticket prices were announced. The starting ticket price range is around 2,500 JPY ($22 USD) and 5,800 JPY ($52 USD) for all events. View all ticket prices per sport here.

It is expected that tickets will go on sale in early 2019; they can be found on the Tokyo 2020 official site. Japan residents will be able to apply for tickets via this form.