How Colorado’s ticketing bill could change the industry

Shopping for tickets to a live performance or sporting occasion could be a headache, however a state lawmaker needs to make that course of simpler by banning speculative ticketing gross sales.

Driving the information: The generally misleading apply permits sellers to listing tickets regardless of not but proudly owning them.

• Misleading commerce practices embody software program that routinely buys tickets, promoting them with out displaying the whole prices or further charges, or rising the value after it has been chosen for buy.

How we received right here: “This invoice has been round for a short time, however the one purpose it appears to be garnering consideration is due to Taylor Swift,” invoice sponsor Sen. Robert Rodriguez (D-Denver) mentioned.

Of notice: Ticketmaster beforehand blamed bots snatching up tickets for the Swift debacle — one thing Rodriguez’s invoice would outlaw.

The opposite facet: Resale corporations and shopper safety teams say the invoice isn’t what it appears.

The Colorado invoice would let occasion operators like music venues revoke or prohibit tickets purchased or offered by misleading commerce practices, which prompted an outcry from ticket resale corporations.

• Representatives for Vivid Seats and StubHub mentioned throughout a listening to final month the invoice would make it simpler for Ticketmaster to void tickets purchased by its rivals.
• StubHub mentioned in a press release to Axios it opposed the invoice, partly as a result of the corporate feels it was drafted to the profit LiveNation, AEG, different operators and ticket sellers.

What they’re saying: “The proposed invoice doesn’t embody any significant regulation particularly of operators and first ticket sellers,” StubHub tells us in a press release.

• Ian Lee, of Defend Ticket Rights, a shopper safety group, mentioned teams like his wish to again the invoice, however do not help it as a result of they really feel it was crafted for LiveNation.

Sure, however: Ticketmaster informed us in a press release the modifications would “profit artists and enhance shopper protections for followers whereas maintaining tickets out of the arms of scalpers.”

• Michael Goldberg, proprietor of live performance venue Stomach Up Aspen, helps the invoice, and he tells us giving smaller venues like his the facility to revoke tickets from dangerous actors — together with folks promoting single tickets a number of instances — is one purpose he backs it.

Between the strains: The invoice would come with penalties and fines, and other people charged a number of instances can resist a $1 million fantastic, Rodriguez mentioned.

What’s subsequent: The invoice will likely be heard by the Home Committee on Enterprise Affairs & Labor on Thursday.