MIAMI - Are you tired of paying more for concerts and sporting events and getting ripped off with hidden fees? Two Florida Democratic lawmakers, state Sen. Lori Berman, and House Rep. Anna Eskmani, are looking to get rid of that headache after introducing the Transparency and Integrity in Consumer Knowledge and Enforcement of Transactions (TICKET) Act last Wednesday.
Under SB 404/HB 297, online ticket sellers such as StubHub, SeatGeek, Live Nation, and Ticketmaster would be required to disclose the full price of the ticket “in an easily readable and conspicuous manner” with all fees and surcharges listed.
In addition, the legislation would make ticket retailers disclose subtotals, fees, and related charges to the buyer that aren't false or misleading and in the same or larger font than the total price.
With tickets already in high demand for Taylor Swift or a Miami Dolphins football game, online ticket marketplaces would also be required to disclose their refund policies and notify consumers that ticket prices could be higher than lower than face value.
Morever, the proposed bill(s) ban misleading website domain names that resemble ticket websites. They also prohibit deceptive practices involving the sale of the same ticket to multiple buyers from bypassing security measures to purchase tickets in bulk.
In a study by Georgetown Law Technology Review, ticketing companies charge hidden fees that can cost up to 50% of the original price. It also noted that Americans spend almost $65 billion per year on junk fees.
Similar ticket problems appeared to have occurred through Ticketmaster for Swift's Eras Tour in 2022. After the site crashed and general tickets were canceled, scalpers amassed large amounts of tickets and sold them on resale websites for excessively high prices.
In May 2024, the Justice Department, along with 30 state and district attorneys general, sued Live Nation Entertainment and its wholly owned subsidiary Ticketmaster for allegedly creating a monopoly on live event ticket prices across the United States.
“We allege that Live Nation relies on unlawful, anticompetitive conduct to exercise its monopolistic control over the live events industry in the United States at the cost of fans, artists, smaller promoters, and venue operators,” former Attorney General Merrick Garland said at the time of the lawsuit.
“The result is that fans pay more in fees, artists have fewer opportunities to play concerts, smaller promoters get squeezed out, and venues have fewer real choices for ticketing services. It is time to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster," Garland added.
If passed, the SB 404/HB 297 would take effect on July 1.
