In Taos, Luján Hosts Roundtable on Ticketing Marketplace, Unveils New Legislation to Protect Ticket Buyers from Ticket Scams

Taos, N.M. - On Monday, at Taos Mothership, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) unveiled the Guaranteeing Honest Ownership in Secondary Ticketing (GHOST) Act, legislation to protect fans and concertgoers from deceptive ticket resale practices by prohibiting resellers from selling tickets they do not actually possess.

During the event, Senator Luján held a roundtable conversation with nonprofit promoters, small venue leaders, artists, and community members to hear directly about the challenges they face in the ticketing marketplace. Senator Luján discussed speculative ticketing, local and federal ticketing issues, and his efforts to protect consumers while supporting artists and independent venues.

"This week in Taos, I was proud to announce my new legislation to protect ticket buyers because when New Mexicans spend their hard-earned money on a concert or event, they deserve to know the ticket they are buying actually exists," said Senator Luján. "Too often, fans are misled into purchasing tickets from resellers who don't even have them. I was grateful for the conversation and the opportunity to hear directly from local leaders about the challenges facing fans, artists, and venues. That's why I introduced the GHOST Act to protect consumers, hold bad actors accountable, and bring greater transparency and fairness to the ticket marketplace."

Too often, consumers unknowingly purchase "speculative" or "ghost" tickets listed by resellers who do not actually have the tickets they are advertising. In some cases, buyers may not learn until shortly before an event that their tickets are unavailable, leaving them with little time to find legitimate replacements that may be sold out or significantly more expensive. Currently, there is no federal law specifically prohibiting speculative ticketing. The GHOST Act would establish nationwide protections to prevent resellers from advertising and selling tickets they do not possess.

Specifically, the GHOST Act would:

• Ban ticket resellers from selling tickets they do not have actual possession of;
• Empower the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action against violators and seek injunctive and monetary relief;
• Require the FTC to establish a website where consumers can report potential violations of the GHOST Act and the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016; and
• Allow state attorneys general to bring actions to enforce the law.

The legislation is supported by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA).

Full bill text is available here.

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