However, it does not seem to address bots or excessive prices.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives of the United States of America passed a bill that has the potential to provide Ticketmaster and other live event providers with at least some degree of accountability. It has been reported by NBC News that the TICKET Act, which should not be confused with the separate bill submitted by the Senate that bears the same try-hard name, would require ticket sellers to provide consumers with an upfront listing of the complete cost of entrance, which would include all fees.
Additionally, the measure would force dealers to declare whether or not the tickets are actually in their possession, in addition to providing a comprehensive analysis of the prices listed. In addition to this, it would require sellers to reimburse tickets for events that were canceled and prohibit secondary merchants from selling misleading websites. There does not appear to be any provisions in the law that target price gouging or excessive fees.
It is now being considered by the Senate, which is currently considering two distinct event-reform bills: the other TICKET Act and a Fans First Act that is supported by both parties. Fans of Taylor Swift, among others, can witness to the fact that the use of bots to get tickets is still all too frequent. The latter was presented in December with the intention of strengthening the BOTS Act of 2016, which prohibits the use of bots to purchase tickets.
Late in the year 2022, after Ticketmaster’s Taylor Swift scandal, the reform of the ticketing sector became a political point-scoring subject. The site, which is controlled by Live Nation and has a stronghold on the industry, melted down as millions of fans fought against “a staggering number” of bots. According to Ticketmaster, the presale codes were distributed to 1.5 million fans; nonetheless, 14 million people attempted to purchase tickets, including those annoying bots.
In January 2023, Live Nation President and Chief Financial Officer Joe Berchtold testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In his testimony, he essentially shifted the responsibility for fixing the situation down to Congress. He suggested that the government amend the BOTS Act, which is something that one of the bills being considered in the Senate would attempt to do. In the course of the session, Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat of Connecticut) criticized the executive for avoiding responsibility and accused the firm of throwing the fault at everyone else than itself.
On Wednesday, there was a joint statement issued by Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ) regarding the TICKET Act that was passed by the House of Representatives. The organization noted that “this consensus legislation will end deceptive ticketing practices that frustrate consumers who simply want to enjoy a concert, show, or sporting event by restoring fairness and transparency to the ticket marketplace.” This measure will put an end to the practices that frustrate consumers. After years of collaboration between members of both parties, we will soon be able to improve the overall experience of customers who purchase event tickets online. We are looking forward to continuing our collaboration in order to encourage a speedy passage of the bill through the Senate, which will allow us to get it to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
Notable musicians such as Billie Eilish, Lorde, Green Day, Cyndi Lauper, Jason Mraz, and Dave Matthews are among those who have openly expressed their support for legislation that would address the shortcomings of the ticketing system. “We are joining together to say that the current system is broken: predatory resellers and secondary platforms engage in deceptive ticketing practices to inflate ticket prices and deprive fans of the opportunity to see their favorite artists at a fair price,” reads a letter that was signed by more than 250 musicians individually.