ANNAPOLIS, Maryland (CelebrityAccess) — In an effort to combat some of the excesses of secondary ticketing markets, lawmakers in Maryland have passed new anti-scalping legislation that may be some of the strongest in the U.S.
Maryland House Bill 701 seeks to create a more equitable secondary market and addresses a range of predatory practices that includes a ban on so-called speculative ticket sales, where ticket resellers list tickets that they don’t actually own for sale.
The legislation also cracks down on pricing and prevents ticket resales for prices above the face value of the ticket, including fees and taxes, and also requires resellers to disclose the total price of the ticket, including all fees and taxes.
“We’re getting used to paying these exorbitant prices. It’s funny, now if you get a ticket for face value, that’s apparently a big deal,” Delegate C.T. Wilson, who introduced the legislation in Maryland’s House, told Washington D.C. Fox affiliate WTTG. “That shouldn’t be a big deal. We’ve been tricked into accepting this.”
The legislation also caps third-party website fees to 10%, further reducing the prices that consumers face when trying to purchase tickets on the secondary market and codifies tickets as a license.
Additionally, the bill requires Maryland’s Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s Office to conduct a comprehensive review of the state’s entire ticketing industry.
The legislation only applies to tickets for concerts, while an amendment to the bill excludes tickets to sporting events.
“The regular Joe that has season tickets, I don’t want to punish him,” Wilson told WTTG. “I understand he may want to sell a few of his tickets off and make back some of the money he sold – and although it’s not a business nor should it be – that’s not our target audience.”
The passage of the legislation, which still needs to be signed by Maryland’s governor before becoming law, was applauded by stakeholders in Maryland’s concert industry.
“Maryland Senate Bill 539 marks a significant milestone in consumer protection for fans and artists,” said Stephen Parker, Executive Director of the National Independent Venue Association. “This bill safeguards consumers from the deceptive ticketing practices that have plagued Maryland and the nation for far too long. Every fan deserves to know that their ticket is real and where their money is going. The Maryland bill does just that. Nearly 17,000 Maryland constituents wrote letters urging their legislators to pass this critical legislation. We are proud to support this bill and eager to use it as a model for ticketing reform across the country.”
“The passage of SB539 proves that when policymakers center the voices of local music communities, including artists, independent venues, nonprofit arts groups and our allies across the live entertainment ecosystem, we really can achieve meaningful reforms that benefit fans, workers, and small businesses,” says Kevin Erickson, Executive Director of the Future of Music Coalition. “We’re profoundly grateful for the leadership of Senator Dawn Gile and her cosponsors Senators Beidle, Feldman, and Ellis as well as Delegate C.T. Wilson in the House. And while we’re celebrating today, we also look forward to working with the Attorney General’s office on their forthcoming study of the industry, as we look to achieve further reforms to strengthen music communities and end deceptive and predatory business practices in live event ticketing, in Maryland and across the nation.”
“Maryland made it clear, when you listen to artists and venues, you pass stronger legislation,” said Nathaniel Marro, Managing Director of the National Independent Talent Organization. “NITO applauds legislators in Maryland for protecting consumers by passing the strongest speculative ticket ban in the country and looks forward to working with them further on their study of the resale market and its harms.”
