Ontario Premier Doug Ford is addressing concerns over exorbitant resale prices for World Series tickets, which have left many Blue Jays fans frustrated. As the first game approaches on Friday, tickets for home games at Rogers Centre sold out quickly, leading to resale prices soaring into the thousands.

Ford accused Ticketmaster of "gouging" fans, stating, "They’re gouging the people, when you have one player in the market that controls the tickets, that’s not right for the people." His comments come as lower bowl seats for the World Series are reportedly listed for as much as $10,000.

In 2019, Ford's government repealed certain protections against ticket scalping, including a cap on resale prices that allowed markups of only 50 percent above face value. At that time, the government described the previous law as "unenforceable." The Ticket Sales Act, established by the previous Liberal administration, aimed to prevent automated ticket purchases by bots and regulate resale practices.

When asked if the government would consider reinstating ticket scalping legislation, Ford responded, "we’re looking at that." Opposition leaders have echoed concerns about ticket prices, with NDP Leader Marit Stiles stating, "We asked for this when it came to the Taylor Swift concert, right? We need the government to take action." Interim Liberal leader John Fraser added that it is "not fair" for fans to face prices that are 10 to 12 times the original cost.

Toronto MPP and Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Gaming Stan Cho also expressed his discontent, stating he would not attend any World Series games due to the high ticket prices.

In a letter to U.S. senators, Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, announced plans to combat scalping programs to mitigate "reputational harm." Ticketmaster stated on its website that ticket pricing and sales decisions are made by artists, promoters, and sports teams, emphasizing that they set the face value prices and determine the number of tickets available.

As the World Series begins, the issue of ticket pricing remains a hot topic among fans and officials alike, with many calling for action to protect consumers from inflated costs.