Tuesday, April 2, 2019 - Ticket touts have been banned permanently from operating at Cheltenham Racecourse through a landmark High Court ruling this afternoon.
Ticket touting outside the venue was cited by customers as a blight on their raceday experience and has seen forged or invalid tickets sold to members of the public.
The High Court has granted a permanent injunction against ticket touting at the Home of Jump Racing. This prohibits the buying and selling of tickets by touts and the selling of tickets to touts by any person. It also includes anyone assisting in that activity. Breaching the injunction is a contempt of court, punishable by imprisonment, a fine and/or the seizure of assets.
It follows the granting of an 'interlocutory' injunction in October, 2018 to ban ticket touting that covered the duration of the Cheltenham's 2018/19 racing season. The success of this measure prompted Jockey Club Racecourses to seek this permanent ruling, supported by Cheltenham Borough Council and Gloucestershire Police.
Ian Renton, Cheltenham and South West Regional Director for Jockey Club Racecourses, said:
"We are absolutely delighted to secure a permanent injunction against touting at Cheltenham Racecourse. This landmark ruling follows the success of the temporary injunction the courts put in place for the current season, which has reduced the incidence of touts at the racecourse to an absolute minimum.
"We are very pleased to have now been granted a permanent injunction, which will be of great benefit to our racegoers who have been seriously inconvenienced by the actions of touts for many years. Other sports have been watching these developments closely, and I am sure will wish to introduce something similar."
John Steel QC, who has represented The Jockey Club in this case, commented:
"This is a great success for Cheltenham Racecourse and The Jockey Club, and will act as a massive deterrent to any tout considering operating at Cheltenham Racecourse at any time in the future, as they may be found in contempt of court and subject to the custodial sentence that this entails."
