There’s still time – but not much – to make your voice heard!
As a reminder, IAVM has been actively advocating for a ban on speculative ticket sales – a deceptive practice where sellers list tickets they do not actually own, often before public onsale dates or confirmed inventory. This misleading tactic results in inflated prices, fan frustration, last-minute cancellations, and reputational damage to venues like yours.
Thanks to IAVM and other advocates, real progress is happening. On March 31, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order on Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market. It calls for:
- Stronger enforcement of the BOTS Act
- Upfront disclosure of ticket fees
- Coordination with states on deceptive resale practices
- Greater accountability from scalpers through tax compliance
Following the order, the DOJ and FTC launched a public inquiry into unfair and anticompetitive practices in live event ticketing. This is your chance to weigh in.
Comments are due by midnight (ET) on July 7, 2025. Submit yours here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/ATR-2025-0002-0002
All comments will be publicly posted – please avoid including any proprietary information.
Your input could help shape long-overdue protections for venues and fans alike. Don’t miss the opportunity to influence meaningful change in our industry.
What You Can Address in Your Comment:
- Your experience with speculative ticket listings
- The effect of deceptive URLs and fake ticketing websites that impersonate official box offices
- The impact of bots and scalpers on fans and pricing
- Lack of transparency around ticketing fees
- Recommendations for reforms to improve fairness and accountability
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
A Sample Comment to Customize:
(Please make it personal-include real examples from your venue)
Submitted via Regulations.gov
Docket No. ATR-2025-0002
Comment on Competition in the Ticketing Industry
From: [Your Name], [Title]
Organization: [Venue Name] | [City, State]
Date: [Today’s Date]
As the manager of a [venue size/type] live entertainment venue, I write to support efforts to eliminate deceptive ticketing practices that mislead fans and damage trust in our industry.
Speculative ticket sales-where tickets are listed for sale before the seller owns them-routinely confuse and overcharge fans, often resulting in non-delivery or fraud. We’ve seen firsthand the frustration from patrons who show up with invalid tickets, believing they were legitimate.
Misleading websites and URLs used to impersonate our official site is another problem. Deceptive ticketing websites that use misleading URLs or ads to impersonate our official site trick fans into overpaying or purchasing from unauthorized sellers, all while appearing legitimate in search results.
Hidden fees are another major issue. Fans blame our venue for inflated prices, not realizing those costs are added by resale platforms. This undermines our reputation and relationships in the community.
We urge the DOJ and FTC to adopt commonsense reforms:
- Ban speculative listings unless the seller holds the ticket
- Outlaw the use of deceptive URLs and impersonator ticketing sites
- Require full price transparency from the outset
- Penalize deceptive resale practices
- Hold platforms accountable for removing false listings
Thank you for taking on this issue. It’s time to restore transparency, fairness, and trust to the ticketing marketplace.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Venue Name]
[City, State]
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Please submit your comment before July 7 and share this with colleagues. Every venue’s voice matters in this proceeding.
