Donald Trump signed an government order on Monday geared toward reforming the live performance ticket trade and defending followers from what he known as “exploitative ticket scalping.”
Amongst different provisions, the order directs state shopper safety authorities to implement the Higher On-line Ticket Gross sales (BOTS) Act, a 2016 federal legislation designed to forestall scalpers from utilizing bots to purchase tickets in bulk. It additionally requires larger value transparency all through the ticket-buying course of — together with on the secondary market — and authorizes enforcement motion towards “unfair, misleading, and anti-competitive conduct” within the ticket resale market.
Moreover, the order instructs US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Lawyer Common Pam Bondi to make sure ticket resellers are totally compliant with IRS rules and different relevant legal guidelines, and duties the Federal Commerce Fee with working alongside the DOJ to implement antitrust legal guidelines throughout the live performance trade.
Trump signed the chief order at an Oval Workplace ceremony attended by Child Rock, who gave transient remarks championing the motion. “Anybody who has purchased a live performance ticket within the final 20 years, it doesn’t matter what your politics are, is aware of it’s a conundrum. You purchase a ticket for $100, by the point you take a look at it’s $170, you don’t know what you’re charged for. However, extra importantly, these bots are available in and get all the great tickets to your favourite exhibits, they usually’re relisted instantly for a 4-500% markup. The artists don’t see any of that cash,” Child Rock stated. “Finally, I feel this can be a nice first step. I’d love down the highway if there could be some laws that we will truly put a cap on the resale of tickets. I’m a Capitalist and for deregulation, however they’ve tried this in some locations in Europe and it appears to be the one factor that lets us as artists get the palms in artists on the value we set.”
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Below Monday’s government order, the Treasury Division, Division of Justice, and Federal Commerce Fee should situation a report inside 180 days summarizing the steps taken to curb unfair practices within the stay leisure trade, together with any suggestions for brand spanking new rules or laws to higher shield shoppers.
The Biden Administration embraced related initiatives to guard shoppers, together with by banning “junk charges” throughout a number of industries, together with hidden prices for on-line live performance tickets. The Biden DOJ additionally opened an antitrust lawsuit towards Reside Nation, a case that continues to be energetic below the Trump Administration.
It’s value noting that lots of the provisions included in Trump’s government order overlap with these discovered within the Fan First Act, a proposed piece of laws that has garnered bipartisan assist in Congress.
Child Rock joins Pres. Trump because the president indicators an government order geared toward curbing ticket reselling and value gouging.
“Anybody who’s purchased a live performance ticket within the final decade … it doesn’t matter what your politics are, is aware of it’s a conundrum.”https://t.co/JJjHtQvPjM pic.twitter.com/LouRuH0kMU
— ABC Information (@ABC) March 31, 2025
