Illinois might cap ticket resale prices, fees
Illinois lawmakers are considering new rules for buying and selling tickets to sporting events and concerts, including a cap on resale prices and fees.
A new bill in Springfield would change how Illinoisans buy and sell tickets to sporting events and concerts, including a cap on the prices and fees for reselling tickets.
House Bill 3145, introduced by state Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, would add requirements for selling tickets online.
How the bill would affect buying tickets online
- Ticket resale prices may not exceed the original price plus fees. For ticket platforms such as StubHub and SeatGeek, fees on resale are capped at 10% of the total price.
- When you first see a ticket’s price, it must show the full amount including all fees. The price can’t increase during your purchase.
- Resellers can’t sell tickets they don’t actually have, known as “speculative selling.”
- Ticket resellers can’t put an artist or team name in their web address without permission.
- Ticket issuers must tell customers how many tickets they’re holding back from sale whenever they start selling tickets for an event.
- Bans the use of “bot” computer programs to buy large quantities of tickets at once.
Anyone reselling more than 100 tickets in a year would have to register with the Secretary of State’s office. If passed, it wouldn’t take effect until 2026.
The bill is assigned to the Illinois House Consumer Protection Committee and must receive a vote by March 21 to advance.