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Virginia delegates pass pro-ticket touting bill

Dave Albo's HB 1825, which levies fines of up to $15,000 for impeding secondary-market ticket selling, has been passed by the Virginia House of Delegates

By Jon Chapple on 27 Feb 2017

Terry McAuliffe, Herndon, Virginia, Kate Wellington

image © Kate Wellington

As countries around the world crack down on ticket touting – with the launch of the Anti-Resale Alliance by politicians and industry groups in Spain the latest example – one US state has just taken a big step in the opposite direction.

House Bill (HB) 1825, criticised by venues and promoters as “legislation that protects scalpers and out-of-state companies to the detriment of Virginia fans”, has passed Virginia’s House of Delegates, meaning anyone found to be restricting the resale of concert tickets will soon be liable for prosecution.

HB 1825 – introduced last month by Virginia state delegate Dave Albo, who was unable to resell a paperless ticket to an Iron Maiden show he could no longer attend – and its sister State Bill (SB) 1425 provide for a fine of up to $US15,000 for anyone who issues tickets “through a delivery method that substantially prevents the ticket purchaser from lawfully reselling the ticket” online, or “penalises, discriminates against or denies admission to an event solely on the basis that the person resold a ticket or purchased a resold ticket on a specific internet ticketing platform”.

The bill now goes to the desk of Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe, who has previously pledged his support to Albo. “He generally believes in fostering competition and innovation,” a spokesman for McAuliffe (pictured) told the Daily Press in January. “And he looks forward to buying his next round of Springsteen tickets on the secondary market.”

 


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