Open Access Research Article
IS A MATCH TICKET A CONTRACT OR A MERE LICENCE? SPECTATOR REFUND RIGHTS IN INDIA AFTER ABANDONED OR CANCELLED MATCHES
Abstract
Every season, rain or mist concludes
a night at an Indian stadium, leading thousands of ticket holders to question
if they should receive a refund. Organisers respond variably: a complete
refund, partial, or none, largely determined by the ticket's fine print. This
piece inquires into what the law stipulates when the fine print is either
ambiguous or unjust. It starts with the traditional common-law inquiry of
whether a match ticket constitutes a contract or just a licence, and contends
that the inquiry is incorrectly posed. According to the Indian Easements Act of
1882, a ticket serves as a licence; under the Indian Contract Act of 1872, it
is additionally deemed a contract for consideration. The two descriptions
function together. Section 62(f) of the Easements Act considers a licence as
nullified when its objective is no longer feasible, section 64 safeguards a
paying licensee who loses enjoyment without any wrongdoing, and sections 56 and
65 of the Contract Act mandate the refund of money paid for a service that did
not occur. The article evaluates this assertion in light of recent Indian
occurrences, such as the fog-affected Lucknow T20 international in December
2025, the cancelled Bengaluru Indian Premier League game in May 2025, and the
Kolkata Messi event in December 2025, alongside the Consumer Protection Act,
2019. It has three main contributions. It combines the licence, contract, and
consumer law aspects, which are typically addressed independently. It indicates
that terms denying any refund after minimal play, or granting refunds at the
organiser's discretion, can be contested as unfair contract provisions. It
suggests a structured, performance-driven refund system that associations,
franchises, and regulators can implement using model ticket terms, without
needing new laws.
Published Paper
Author Details
Authors: ABHISHREE AGARWALRegistration ID: 1013381 | Published Paper ID: IJLRA13381Approved ISSN: 2582-6433 | Country: Delhi, IndiaPage No.: 1320- 1341
Article Information
IS A MATCH TICKET A CONTRACT OR A MERE LICENCE? SPECTATOR REFUND RIGHTS IN INDIA AFTER ABANDONED OR CANCELLED MATCHES
Authors: ABHISHREE AGARWAL
- Journal IJLRA
- ISSN 2582-6433
- Volume 3
- Issue 7
About Journal
International Journal for Legal Research and Analysis
- AbbreviationIJLRA
- ISSN2582-6433
- AccessOpen Access
- LicenseCC 4.0
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