SPRINGFIELD – As ticket-buying becomes more competitive, State Senator Steve Stadelman is working to strengthen consumer protections in the ticket sales marketplace, prevent the use of bots from buying up tickets and crack down on deceptive online purchasing practices.
“Attending a live event should be about excitement and anticipation, not frustration and unfair obstacles,” said Stadelman (D-Rockford). “This bill puts fans first by stopping bots, cracking down on misleading resellers, and making the ticketing process more transparent.”
As artificial intelligence proliferates in the ticket sales marketplace, consumers are increasingly forced to compete against automated bots that bypass ticket limits and deceptive resale websites that appear to be officially affiliated with artists or venues. Existing federal protections address some of these issues, but gaps in enforcement and transparency continue to frustrate consumers when attempting to purchase event tickets.
Senate Bill 318 would create the Prohibition on Bots Purchasing Tickets Act to prohibit the use of bots, multiple accounts or email addresses to circumvent posted ticket purchasing limits during online ticket sales. The legislation would also prohibit ticket resellers from falsely representing that they are affiliated with an artist, team, venue or event organizer in a way that could mislead consumers.
“Fans shouldn’t have to battle technology just to buy a ticket,” said Stadelman. “This legislation brings accountability to ticket sellers and ensures everyone has an equal opportunity to enjoy live events.”
Senate Bill 318 – which is part of the Senate’s AI protection package – passed the Senate Thursday.
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