Maryland Gov. Wes Moore on Thursday signed into law a bill that aims to protect consumers from ticket scalpers and resellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The legislation is the latest to combat unfair ticketing practices, an issue that has gained significant traction<\/a> since the sale of Taylor Swift\u2019s Eras tour tickets in 2022. A Minnesota bill named after Swift was signed into law on Wednesday<\/a>, requiring ticket price transparency and prohibiting resellers from offering the same ticket more than once. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The bill was first introduced in January by state Sens. Dawn Gile, Brian Feldman, Pamela Beidle and Arthur Ellis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In a phone interview, Gile said that the bill will create a “fairer landscape” for consumers and prevent them from getting “tricked into paying more than what they should be paying.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “There was a lot of attention on this bill, and I think it’s because people are just so outraged by how expensive tickets are,” Gile said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Resellers will be prohibited from selling speculative tickets, which are tickets that are not currently in the seller\u2019s possession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Resellers will also be required to disclose the total price of a ticket, including taxes and fees. They must also issue refunds to ticket purchasers if a ticket turns out to be counterfeit, if the event is canceled or if the ticket does not match what was advertised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The law goes into effect on July 1. Maryland will become the first state to fine resellers and platforms that offer speculative tickets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Moore said in a statement that the law will \u201chelp lower costs\u201d for Maryland residents hoping to enjoy live events in the state\u2019s venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cResale markets have put rapidly rising costs on consumers and this will help our state protect people from unnecessary price hikes,\u201d Moore said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar legislation has been proposed on a federal level but has yet to move past committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Fans First Act, introduced in December by a bipartisan group of senators, also seeks to ban the sale of speculative tickets and prohibit other deceptive ticketing practices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n