If you’ve ever tried purchasing tickets online for a concert you might be aware that it can often prove to be very challenging. That’s because tickets are usually picked up in seconds by bots. Those tickets are then sold at a premium by resellers. This isn’t completely legal but New York is now taking steps concrete against it. The State of New York has declared ticket buying bots illegal.
Anybody who has tried buying tickets for Hamilton knows just how frustrating it can be to buy tickets for the hottest gigs in town. When you’re living in New York, there tend to be quite a few of these gigs so it’s a neverending battle.
“New Yorkers have been dealing with this frustrating ticket buying experience for too long,” said state assembly member Marcos Crespie.
Ticket buying bots were illegal before but using them was not declared to be criminal, only a civil action could be brought, but that has changed now following a three-year investigation by New York attorney general Eric. T. Schneiderman.
Criminal sanctions have now been confirmed for those who use ticket buying bots in order to turn a profit by reselling tickets. Scalpers can be fined and repeat offenders can even be sent to jail.
Whether or not these actions are enough to clamp down on this practice remains to be seen.