Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) and Ranking Member Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) re-introduced the TICKET Act, bipartisan legislation to improve transparency in the entertainment industry by requiring all event ticket sellers to display the total ticket price—including all required fees—upfront, provide refunds for cancelled or postponed events, and protect consumers from deceptive ticketing websites.
The TICKET Act mirrors current advertising guidelines for airline tickets, requiring that consumers can see the full price of the ticket before purchasing. This ensures that when American consumers are buying tickets (for concerts, theater, sporting events, etc), they have full transparency throughout the process. Studies by the New York Attorney General’s office and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) show that fees can contribute anywhere from 21% to as much as 58% of the total cost of tickets.
“There is nothing more disappointing for an avid fan than being lured into the prospect of an affordable ticket to see his or her favorite sports team or band only to learn later in the check-out process that the final price tag is significantly higher. Our pro-consumer bill brings much needed transparency to the whole ticketing industry, and I’m committed to working towards reforms that protect consumers and provide certainty in the marketplace,” said Congressman Gus Bilirakis.
“Fans are incredibly frustrated by how hard it has become to buy event tickets. With every ticketing debacle, from Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, to more recently with Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour, and so many more, their frustration grows,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “By introducing the bipartisan TICKET Act, we are proud to be responding to the voices of so many fans to make this process easier and more transparent. Consumers deserve to be protected from fraudulent tickets, surprise costs, and excessive fees.”
Specifically, the TICKET Act requires all event ticket sellers, including primary and secondary market event ticket sellers to:
1. Show consumers the total price of an event ticket upfront, inclusive of all fees
2. Ban the sale of a ticket that a seller does not have (“speculative ticketing”)
3. Guarantee refunds for event cancellations
4. Guarantee replacement tickets or a refund, whichever the consumer chooses, for event postponements
5. Protect consumers from fraudulent ticketing websites with clear disclosures and no deceptive URLs
A bipartisan companion of the TICKET Act is being championed in the United States Senate by Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) and Ed Markey (D-MA).
