North Michigan News

Sens. John Damoose and Mary Cavanagh have put forward new legislation aimed at tackling unfair ticket resale practices in Michigan. This initiative follows National Consumer Protection Week and seeks to address the issue of ticket scalping facilitated by automated bots.

"This legislation is about fairness — fans should have a real chance to buy tickets at a reasonable price, not forced into an inflated resale market created by scalpers and bots," stated Damoose, R-Harbor Springs. He emphasized that enforcing purchasing limits and penalizing offenders would help restore integrity to the ticketing system, making live events more accessible.

The proposed Senate Bills 158 and 159 focus on combating the use of bots that purchase event tickets in bulk. These bots often bypass security measures and purchasing limits, leading to inflated resale prices.

Cavanagh, D-Redford Township, highlighted the importance of live events for personal experiences and economic contributions. "Events are an important opportunity to add to the fabric of our memories... but resellers are manipulating the system by superseding website security, buying tickets in bulk, and reselling them at prices that make it nearly impossible for most Michiganders to access," she said. The legislation aims to curb these deceptive practices by holding perpetrators accountable and ensuring fairer access to tickets.