A major shake-up is coming to the UK ticketing space and no one in the live events ecosystem should be under any illusions about what it means.

From September 2025, companies could face criminal prosecution for failing to prevent fraud in their business, even if they didn’t know it was happening. This new offence, part of the government’s broader crackdown on corporate misconduct, makes it clear: compliance is no longer a tick-box exercise. It is a frontline defence.

Thanks to Martin Haigh for highlighting this in a recent post. It deserves the industry’s full attention.

What’s Changing?

Under the new “Failure to Prevent Fraud” offence, if someone inside your organisation commits fraud and your company didn’t have reasonable checks and systems in place to stop it, you could be criminally liable. That includes senior leadership.

Intent no longer matters. Ignorance is not a defence. Whether you’re a ticketing platform, a promoter, a sponsor, or a hospitality buyer, you are now part of the risk chain.

This Isn’t Just Theoretical

Let’s be real. Certain behaviours have long been tolerated, even normalised.

Primary sellers quietly routing tickets straight to resale
Secondary marketplaces allowing bulk tout listings without checks
Promoters holding back blocks to generate sellout optics and artificial FOMO
Sponsors topping up guest allocations from unofficial sources
Hospitality providers mixing in grey-market tickets as “exclusive access”

These practices have eroded fan trust and undermined access. Come autumn, they won’t just be questionable. They could be criminal.

Who’s Most Exposed?

Primary and resale platforms that haven’t put proper limits and checks in place
Promoters dealing under the radar to boost hype
Sponsors and hospitality agencies sourcing from third parties without doing due diligence
Executives who rely on wilful ignorance or assume someone else is responsible

The Competition and Markets Authority can now issue direct fines of up to 10 percent of global turnover, with no court process required. If criminal fraud is suspected, the bar for prosecution is lower than ever.

The Knock-On Effect for Live Events

This will fundamentally impact how talent tours, how sponsors activate, and how fans access tickets.

Expect increased pressure on platforms to show their workings
Brands will need to rethink how hospitality packages are sourced
Promoters may need to overhaul allocation practices to ensure fairness and transparency
New players with compliant, transparent models will have a genuine competitive edge

The audience is no longer tolerating murky dealings, and now the law won’t either.

What Should Happen Next?

Review your house now. Platforms, promoters, sponsors and hospitality providers all need a full audit of their processes
Get documentation in order. It’s not enough to say you care about integrity. You need proof
Train your teams. Make sure commercial, legal, partnerships and ops understand the exposure
Use this as a reset. Clean systems, clear communication and fair access build long-term trust

This is a pivotal moment. Not just for ticketing compliance, but for cultural credibility.

The live space thrives when fans believe in the process. The minute they don’t, you lose more than just sales. You lose connection.

This is a chance to rebuild that trust, remove the opacity and raise the bar.