Buying tickets on resale marketplaces, such as Ticketmaster or StubHub, may be cheaper for shows in D.C. in the near future. The D.C. Council has given final approval to legislation that attempts to root out price gouging.
Ward 6 council member Charles Allen, who introduced the legislation, said it does a few things.
“It prohibits, first off, bots from coming in and being able to scoop up these tickets, and so that’s a big part of it. It kind of levels the playing field.”
Allen introduced the Restricting Egregious Scalping Against Live Entertainment Act, or the RESALE Act.
Allen said the measure also caps most live entertainment resales at 10% above face value, but he said that doesn’t include tickets for sporting events.
“Because we see sports tickets that really are a season ticket package type of scenario, versus, there’s an artist coming to town that you really want to go see at the 9:30 Club,” Allen said. “They’re just very different things and so this legislation was not trying to tackle sports but really your concerts, your artists and those venues.”
He said it’s possible the council will revisit the issue of sports tickets.
“Could we at some point in the future look at sporting events? I guess we could, but that just wasn’t really where we were hearing the major problem. I think more people are familiar with what happens at a Taylor Swift concert or Beyoncé or something like that, it really just gouges the fans.”
The bill’s supporters included I.M.P., which operates the 9:30 Club, The Anthem, Lincoln Theatre and The Atlantis.
Allen said because ticket price gouging is not just an issue in D.C., this legislation could become a national model.
“It’s also something that you see similar legislation that’s been introduced by Democrats, by Republicans in purple states, red states, blue states — this is an issue that resonates with a lot of people.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser voiced some concerns about the act, but it does not appear she will veto it. The act takes effect in 2027.
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