Connect with us

News

Massachusetts Tightens Ticket Resale Laws Amid Controversy

Published

on

Massachusetts Ticket Sale Law Controversy

In Massachusetts, changes to the ticket resale landscape are causing significant discussion following the signing of a new law by Governor Maura Healey. The legislation, buried within a wider Economic Development Bill, aims to alter the way event tickets are sold and transferred, a move that has garnered both support and criticism from various parties.

The freshly enacted law gives companies, including Ticketmaster, increased control over ticket transfers, limiting fan options in reselling tickets if they are unable to attend an event. This regulation requires consumers to resell tickets only through the original purchasing platform, provided the policy is clearly disclosed. Consumer watchdogs, such as MASSPIRG, oppose the measure, advocating for the freedom to sell tickets on any platform.

«I can’t resell it to anybody I want, I can’t give it to my friends or family if I can’t go, and so it’s really harming fans,» stated Deirdre Cummings of MASSPIRG. Conversely, Live Nation, Ticketmaster’s parent company, supports the legislation as a method to combat ticket scalping.

Dan Wall, vice president of corporate and regulatory affairs for Live Nation, explained, «It’s about whether professional ticket brokers and the ticket resale sites that support them can use their bots and all their other tactics to grab thousands and thousands of tickets that were meant for real fans.» The law also obliges platforms to clearly disclose ticket prices and prohibits the use of automated purchasing software known as «bots.»

The directive’s critics, including ticket reseller StubHub, label it as anti-competitive, with concerns that it might inflate ticket prices by ensuring resales occur through major platforms. «Ticketmaster will buy it at a lower face value and then sell it at a higher one,» Cummings remarked, voicing fears that consumers are losing out while large companies benefit.

Supporters argue the intent is to maintain ticket access at face value, mitigating large markups by ensuring clearer transferability and pricing disclosures. Senator Barry Finegold, involved in negotiating the legislative package, indicated that performers like Pearl Jam have previously limited ticket transfers to control resale inflation.

Despite the legislation’s intent to strengthen regulatory transparency, consumer groups, including the National Consumers League and the Sports Fan Coalition, have criticized the language, suggesting it strengthens Live Nation Entertainment‘s (LNE) control over the industry. They appealed to the Governor to reconsider portions of the bill, particularly those perceived as supporting monopolistic practices associated with LNE’s technology, «SafeTix.»

The bill’s critics argue the transfer restrictions hinder competition and could contribute to higher ticket prices by reducing consumer resale options. Consumer advocacy groups did not foresee the bill’s transferability language due to its late introduction in the legislative process, which has now sparked calls for legislative correction when the state revisits its policies in the 2025-2026 term.

Rachel Adams

Times News Global is a dynamic online news portal dedicated to providing comprehensive and up-to-date news coverage across various domains including politics, business, entertainment, sports, security, features, opinions, environment, education, technology and global. affairs. Our commitment lies in sharing news that is based on factual accuracy, credibility, verifiability, authority and depth of research. We pride ourselves on being a distinctive media organization, guided by the principles enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Made up of a team of ordinary people driven by an unwavering dedication to uncovering the truth, we publish news without bias or intimidation.

Entradas recientes