No, ticket scalping in Austria is prohibited under the Ticket Transfer Act (TTG 2024), effective since January 2025, which criminalizes resale above face value for major events. The Austrian Competition Authority (Bundeskartellamt) enforces penalties up to €20,000 per violation, with courts prioritizing consumer protection under EU Digital Services Act alignment. Exceptions exist for non-profit resale via authorized platforms like TicketSwap, but profit-driven scalping remains illegal.
Key Regulations for Scalping Tickets in Austria
- Face Value Mandate: Resale prices must not exceed the original ticket price, including fees, per §3 TTG 2024. Violations trigger administrative fines and potential criminal charges under §168 StGB (fraud).
- Authorized Platforms Only: Third-party resale requires registration with the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW), which maintains a public registry of compliant brokers. Unregistered platforms face immediate shutdown orders.
- Event-Specific Bans: For high-demand events (e.g., Vienna Philharmonic concerts, UEFA matches), organizers may impose blacklisting of scalpers via the Austrian Event Safety Act, blocking repeat offenders from purchasing tickets for 3+ years.