Blumenthal: 'Ticket Bot' Bill Clears Hurdle in Senate

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal this week announced that a bipartisan bill he introduced to "crack down on unfair ticket scalping" passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Blumenthal said the legislation, dubbed, "The Better Online Ticket Sales Act," also known as the "BOTS Act," will ban “ticket bots” that intentionally bypass security measures on online ticketing Web sites to "outprice individual fans."

“This critical bill is now one step closer to cracking down on unfair ticket bots that sweep up tickets and squeeze out fans,” Blumenthal said.

He said "parasitic special software," known as ‘ticket bots,’ can scoop up available tickets at high-speeds on the secondary market.

"That makes it impossible for ordinary consumers to see their favorite band or hometown sports team at a reasonable price," Blumenthal said. "This ticket scalping hurts Americans’ pocketbooks and crushes people's dreams to see their favorite artist perform live or cheer on their home sports team. By banning certain ticket bots, this bipartisan bill will help ensure consumers have fair access to the events they want to see.”

At a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection hearing last week, Blumenhthal, the ranking member, emphasized the urgent need for bipartisan legislation to crack down on unfair ticket scalping.

Jeffrey Seller, the producer of the Broadway musical "Hamilton," testified at the hearing about how the bill would help prevent the widespread scalping of tickets to the popular show.

The hearing also included testimony from the Big 12 Commissioner and representatives from StubHub and Ticketfly, who joined Seller in support of the bill.

“In one of my favorite shows of all time, Hamilton, my favorite number is called, ‘The Room Where It Happens,’” Blumenthal said at the hearing. “All that fans want is to be in the room where it happens. And what this bill does is give them fair access to be in that room—whether it is a sports stadium, a music venue, or a show like Hamilton.”

One of the chief reasons for a "lack of ticket availability" has become the use of “ticket bots” – inexpensive software programs that automatically locate and purchase large quantities of tickets offered for sale online through secondary ticket vendors, Blumenthal said.

"In a matter of seconds, third-party brokers using ticket bots can purchase hundreds or thousands of tickets, thereby squeezing out consumers," he said.

Blumenthal introduced the bill with Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) in July to help put an end to this growing practice.

Locally at South-Windsor-based secondary market giant TicketNetwork, the bill drew some praise and some criticism.

"TicketNetwork applauds Senator Blumenthal’s efforts to ensure a fair ticket-buying experience for customers," the company said in a statement. "TicketNetwork supports this bill, but it does not address the real issue with the lack of transparency provided by venues and promoters about how many tickets are actually available to the public to begin with. This is a step in the right direction, but it isn’t comprehensive."

Photo Credit: U.S. Senate; Chris Dehnel