by InTrieste
Italy’s competition and communications authorities have opened investigations into the illegal resale of tickets for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, stepping up efforts to curb scalping and protect fans ahead of the Games, which will run from Feb. 6 to Feb. 22.
The Italian Communications Regulatory Authority, known as AGCOM, said it had launched two separate legal proceedings after detecting a surge in unauthorized Olympic ticket listings on secondary online platforms. The action followed an alert and subsequent monitoring that revealed what Italian media described as widespread ticket scalping, or bagarinaggio, despite repeated warnings from officials and the introduction of secure digital ticketing systems by the Olympic organizing committee.
According to the authorities, tickets for high-demand events have appeared on resale sites at prices far above their original value, in some cases reportedly marked up by as much as 600 percent. Such listings violate Italy’s strict rules on ticket resale for major sporting events, particularly those of international significance like the Olympic Games.
AGCOM said its investigations would focus on identifying the platforms hosting the unauthorized sales and determining whether they failed to adopt adequate safeguards, such as technological filters designed to block automated purchases made by so-called bots. These automated tools are commonly used by professional resellers to buy large volumes of tickets within seconds of release, depriving ordinary fans of access at face value.
The Italian government and the Milan-Cortina 2026 organizing committee have reiterated a policy of “zero tolerance” toward ticket scalping. If violations are confirmed, the proceedings initiated by AGCOM could result in substantial financial penalties, the blacklisting of websites involved in illegal resale, and the cancellation of tickets sold in breach of the rules.
Law enforcement authorities have also cautioned that many of the tickets advertised on secondary markets may be speculative or even fictitious. In such cases, sellers do not yet possess the tickets they are offering, instead betting that they will be able to acquire them later. Officials warn that this practice exposes buyers to a high risk of fraud, including the possibility that digital QR codes may turn out to be invalid, duplicated, or never issued at all, potentially leaving fans stranded after traveling to Italy.
To reduce these risks, authorities are urging spectators to purchase tickets exclusively through the official Milan-Cortina 2026 ticketing portal. Olympic tickets are issued on a nominal basis, meaning they are linked to a specific individual’s identity. Any legitimate transfer of tickets must take place through the official “fan-to-fan” resale platform operated by the organizers, which is designed to ensure transparency, traceability and compliance with Italian law.
With less than a year to go before the opening ceremony, officials say the measures are intended not only to enforce regulations but also to preserve public confidence in the ticketing process and ensure fair access to one of the world’s most watched sporting events.
