The Resale Amendment Act would cap ticket resale prices in D.C. at 10% above face value, ban speculative listings and require registration for high-volume resellers.
The D.C. Council’s Public Works and Operations Committee held a public hearing Wednesday on legislation aimed at protecting fans from ticket fraud and price gouging.
The Resale Amendment Act, introduced by Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen and backed by seven other council members, would cap ticket resale prices at 10% above face value, ban speculative listings and require registration for high-volume resellers.
Local venues say ticket scalpers and bots have distorted the market, making it harder for fans to access shows at fair prices.
Among those speaking in support of the bill was Audrey Fix Schaefer with IMP, the company behind The Anthem and the 9:30 Club in D.C. She told the committee these regulations are needed.
“We have tracked at IMP, with our four D.C. venues, 61,000 tickets resold at double face value or higher just so far this year, taking $60 billion from D.C. customers,” Schaefer said.
She also took aim at speculative listings, which are tickets posted for resale before they are officially available, calling them “fake tickets” that trick fans into overpaying.
“It’s not just deceptive, it’s fraud,” Schaefer said.
Ron Gubitz, executive director at the Music Artists Coalition in D.C., also voiced support, saying the bill would help ensure artists and their crews aren’t cut out of revenue from inflated resale prices.
Will Eastman, a longtime D.C. promoter and producer, also backed the bill.
“These predatory ticket resellers steal equity from artists. They steal equity from venues and promoters who hire the stagehands, the bartenders, the people who live in D.C., your constituents,” Eastman said.
Pushback came from major resale platforms, such as StubHub and SeatGeek, who claimed the changes would make customers more susceptible to fraud.
“When legitimate marketplaces are restricted, buyers and sellers do move to unregulated spaces like social media,” Kevin Callahan, StubHub’s head of North American government relations, said.
Joe Freeman, vice president of government relations at SeatGeek, echoed the concern over price caps.
“Do not, please, deprive consumers, concertgoers of choice. Consumers are smart,” Freeman said.
Brian Berry, of the Ticket Policy Forum, said resale marketplaces have helped move ticket buying from street corners to secure, regulated platforms, and that caps could unintentionally drive consumers back to less safe options.
“It was these resale marketplaces that helped move ticket buying from the shady sidewalk exchanges outside of the old MCI Center, as I would buy for the Caps games, to now a secure, regulated and guaranteed online experience,” Berry said.
The bill is subject to further council review. No timeline for a vote has been announced yet.
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