You’ve probably been there before. You’re waiting online at 9am for tickets to go on sale so you can see your favourite band. By the time 9:01am rolls around, the tickets are sold out, and they’re being offered for resale at triple the price. You’ve discovered first-hand the frustration that scalpers can cause.
Splendour In The Grass hit back at scalpers earlier this year, and Violent Soho have also taken aim at them as well, proving it’s a widespread issue.
While ticket resale has long been a delicate topic, Pitchfork have reported that New York have made the move to criminalise ticket scalping, with offenders facing jail time if convicted.
Mainly focusing on those who use automated ‘ticket bots’ who buy up all the tickets early, the law is still making its way up through Congress. If successful though, it could be a big win for consumers.
Pitchfork noted that while ticket bots were already illegal, the fined associated with being caught were minimal, providing very little motivation for a successful scalper not to do so.
We’re yet to see if such a move will be undertaken in Australia, but if so, it’s a move that will be welcomed with open arms by music lovers everywhere.
