TORONTO — The Ontario government plans to clamp down on ticket scalping with a new law that will prohibit the use of automated ticket-buying “bots.”

The proposed legislation announced this morning will also cap markups on resold tickets at 50 per cent of their face value.

Attorney General Yasir Naqvi says ticket resellers will have to disclose more information, including the face value of tickets and any surcharges.

Naqvi says the issue of “scalper bots,” which scoop up huge blocks of tickets, became big news last year when fans tried to buy tickets to the Tragically Hip’s farewell tour and found they had sold out almost immediately, and then reappeared on resale sites at higher prices.

Naqvi has previously admitted that enforcing a ban on scalper bots, which are not unique to Ontario, would be difficult.

He says the government will beef up enforcement for the resale market and consumers will be able to sue people who use scalper bots.

Naqvi says the changes are based on public feedback gathered through a survey conducted earlier this year and will be introduced this fall.

The Canadian Press