California Enacts Law Banning 'Ghost Tickets,' Industry Experts Call for Stricter Regulations
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 1349 into law, which prohibits the sale of 'ghost tickets' or speculative ticketing. This practice involves scalpers advertising tickets for resale before they actually possess them. The legislation aims to protect consumers who have been defrauded by such schemes, which have affected attendees of major events like the FIFA World Cup and Taylor Swift's Eras tour. While the bill was passed after two years of legislative effort and lobbying from entities like StubHub and Live Nation, amendments were added in its final stages. These amendments exempt resale markets, such as StubHub and SeatGeek, from being defined as speculative ticket sellers, shifting the legal responsibility primarily to individual ticket brokers. Governor Newsom, in his signing statement, acknowledged that the measure appears to take an 'uneven approach' and encouraged further work on the bill.
