New York cracks down on ticket scalpers by passing new legislation

In a move to crack down on ticket scalpers, New York has passed legislation that establishes penalties for those caught using illegal reselling practices such as ticket scalper bots.

The application of scalper bots is widely used by ticket resellers looking to bypass restrictions on how many tickets one person can purchase. This can cause tickets to sell out at a rapid pace while the scalpers resell tickets at an increased value.

"These unscrupulous speculators and their underhanded tactics have manipulated the marketplace and often leave New Yorkers and visitors alike with little choice but to buy tickets on the secondary market at an exorbitant mark-up," stated Governor Cuomo on his website. "It's predatory, it's wrong and, with this legislation, we are taking an important step towards restoring fairness and equity back to this multi-billion dollar industry."

The new legislation states that anyone caught using a scalper bot, or reselling tickets that were knowingly purchased using scalper bots, will be charged with a a class A misdemeanor, meaning violators could face hefty fines and imprisonment.

New York’s recent move follows similar legislation proposed in the UK last month by Conservative MP Nigel Adams, who tabled a bill after he apparently missed out on concert tickets due to scalper bots.

Harrison is Mixmag's East Coast Editor. Follow him on Twitter here