Ticket touts are set to face unlimited fines for selling on tickets for shows.
The move comes after a number of tours from prominent artists including Ed Sheeran and Adele were plagued by “bots” which bypassed maximum ticket sales per person. Viagogo specifically has recently faced wrath and accused of ‘moral repugnance’ for profiteering tickets for a Teenage Cancer Trust Ed Sheeran gig, selling tickets at up to £5,000 per person.
Jo Dipple, chief executive of music industry representatives UK Music expressed delight at the change in rules, saying: ‘Massive profit is made by people who are taking value out of the music industry and putting tickets out of the reach of music fans.’ She continued, adding, ‘Banning bots is a step towards ensuring the ticketing market for live events works more fairly for gig-goers.’
Minister of State for Digital and Culture, Matt Hancock echoed this view, stating, “It’s unacceptable that touts are misusing technology to bypass security measures and buy up vast numbers of tickets before real fans get the chance, only to sell them on at rip-off prices.’
This development comes after an Adele O2 ticket worth £85 at face value last year sold for over £24,000 last year. Check out more information on the new rules below:
