FanFair Alliance has welcomed a range of Government measures to crackdown on the activities of online ticket touts and curb abuses in the secondary ticketing market.
The move follows growing public discontent on this issue, as well as sustained pressure from artists and businesses backing FanFair, and a groundswell of political support – notably from Nigel Adams MP and Sharon Hodgson MP – and campaigners from the All-Party Parliamentary Group On Ticket Abuse.
The Government’s commitment is extensive and includes:
– an amendment to the Digital Economy Bill to criminalise the misuse of bots to bulk-buy tickets. Touts who break the new law will face unlimited fines
– an acceptance of all recommendations made by Professor Michael Waterson in his May 2016 review of secondary ticketing
– investment to support National Trading Standards
– pressure on Get Me In!, Seatwave, StubHub and Viagogo to identify ticket touts and differentiate those sellers from ordinary fans
FanFair Alliance commented:
“Government’s announcement will be music to the ears of UK audiences. It is also vindication for campaigners and performers, who have called for reform of this shadowy market for well over a decade.
“For too long now, the practices of the secondary ticketing platforms have enabled online touts to thrive and generate huge profits at the expense of fans. Ticket resale in the UK is worth an estimated £1bn per annum.
“A crackdown on the misuse of bot technology to bulk-buy tickets will be hugely important in helping clean up this market, but of equal significance is Government’s blanket acceptance of recommendations in the Waterson Review which, if implemented, should lead to greater transparency.
“That aspect is absolutely vital. Only with proper enforcement of the law will this market work in favour of consumers.”
www.fanfairalliance.org
FanFair Alliance was launched in July 2016 to campaign against industrial-scale online ticket touting, and is backed by more than 100 music managers, live agents, promoters, trade bodies and ticket sellers.