Background: 

The current ticketing system hurts fans, communities, sports teams, artists, and venues, many of which are small businesses. Fans are getting boxed out by bots, professional resellers, and big conglomerates when they purchase tickets or need to resell a ticket.

The TICKET Act, H.R. 3950, which passed in the House Energy & Commerce Committee on December 7, 2023, would help address the following areas of reform in the current ticketing system:

Ticket Sales Transparency

• Requires the total price of an event ticket be displayed upfront, inclusive of all fees

Protect Consumers

• Requires clear disclosures and bans deceptive URLs to protect consumers from fraudulent ticketing websites and predatory sellers

• Bans speculative ticketing, through a manager’s amendment, which prevents the sale of tickets that don’t exist

• Allows resellers and ticket brokers to deploy "concierge services" to continue selling speculative tickets that take advantage of consumers

• Include the Speculative Ticketing Oversight and Prohibition Act or the STOP Act of 2023 under the TICKET Act

• Guarantees refunds for event cancellations and postponements

Enforcement

• Requires the Federal Trade Commission study and report on enforcement of the BOTS Act