In recent years, buying tickets online has come at a hefty price. Various hidden fees and ticket scalpers who purchase in bulk and resell have made attending live events more expensive. A new bill in New York may be able to lessen the financial burden on concertgoers.
According to Loudwire, New York governor Kathy Hochul has signed a new bill to help curb hidden ticket fees, “scalper bots and ticket purchasing software” and make ticket purchasing for live events more transparent and accessible. The legislation, which became law on June 30, comes after an investigation of the live entertainment industry throughout 2020 and 2021.
Live entertainment has long been a critical sector in our economy, and as consumers and the industry recover from the pandemic, it is important that we make the ticket-buying experience easier and more transparent,” Governor Hochul remarked in a statement, “This bill will expand penalties for malicious ticketing practices that have made live events inaccessible to New Yorkers for too long.”
With the new bill, ticket prices must be displayed clearly, hidden fees will be banned and penalties will be extended for those who participate in mass scalping of tickets via bots and other software. The law also makes it illegal to sell free tickets and eliminates delivery fees for electronic tickets.
The governor also branded the new law “an important step towards ensuring that every New Yorker has a fair opportunity to enjoy the unique arts and cultural experiences that our state has to offer” which includes iconic cultural event spaces such as Madison Square Garden and the Broadway Theatre.
Photo Credit: Mehreen Rizvi
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