The use of ticket bots, also known as ticket scalpers, has become increasingly common in recent years. Ticket bots are software programs that buy tickets online faster than human users can. They quickly purchase large quantities of tickets for concerts, sporting events, and other high-demand events. The tickets are then resold at much higher prices by scalpers. This often leaves many fans frustrated and unable to get tickets at face value prices. So are these ticket bots legal to use and what can be done about them?
What are ticket bots?
Ticket bots, sometimes referred to as scalper bots, are software programs that are designed to quickly search for and buy tickets online. They use special algorithms and automated processes to purchase tickets much faster than normal human users can. Here are some key things to know about ticket bots:
- High speed – Bots can process and purchase tickets within milliseconds, far faster than humans.
- High volume purchases – Bots can buy hundreds or thousands of tickets across many events in quick succession.
- Difficult to detect – Bots are designed to evade detection by ticket sellers by mimicking human behavior.
- Used by scalpers – The tickets are bought in bulk by scalpers solely to resell them at higher prices.
- Cuts out regular fans – The bot purchases leave less tickets available for the general public at face value prices.
While sometimes called scalper bots, ticket bots themselves don’t set the resale ticket prices – they simply buy the inventory. It is the ticket brokers and professional scalpers that use the bots who then resell the tickets and determine the inflated secondary market prices.
Are ticket bots legal?
The legality of ticket bots varies by jurisdiction. Here is the current status on the legality of ticket bots:
| Location | Are Ticket Bots Legal? |
|---|---|
| United States | Illegal if used to bypass ticket purchase limits. The Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act outlawed their circumvention of ticket limits in 2016. |
| United Kingdom | Illegal as of 2017 under the Digital Economy Act. |
| Canada | Varies by province, illegal in Ontario and Quebec. |
| European Union | Banned across the EU as of 2021 under an update to the bloc’s e-commerce law. |
| Australia | Proposed federal law to ban ticket bots currently under consideration. |
As you can see, ticket bots are illegal in many major jurisdictions. However, enforcement has proven challenging. Even in places where ticket bots are prohibited, they are still used in high numbers to buy tickets.
United States
In 2016, President Obama signed the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act into law in the United States. This law makes it illegal to use software to circumvent ticket purchasing limits or bypass other ticket controls set up by sellers. Violators can face fines of up to $16,000 per ticket.
The law came after ticket bots became widely used in the US, making it difficult for fans to buy tickets at normal prices. However, enforcement has been uneven. Some states have taken action against individuals using bots, but the practice still remains widespread.
United Kingdom
Ticket bots were made illegal in the United Kingdom in 2017 under the Digital Economy Act. The Act bans the resale of tickets purchased using bots and prohibits the use of software to bypass ticket controls. Fines of up to £5,000 per ticket can be charged.
As in the US, enforcement has been limited. Critics have argued stronger prevention systems are needed from ticket sellers. But the law provides a tool to prosecute bot usage and ticket scalping when evidence is found.
Europe
The European Union recently approved a ban on ticket bots across all 27 member countries. The ban came into effect in 2021 after an update to EU e-commerce rules.
The European law goes further than ones in the US and UK, as it prohibits any unauthorized ticket resale. All EU members must implement the rules in their national laws. Fines of up to €30,000 per ticket for violators can be imposed.
The EU law presents a major crackdown on ticket scalping online. But some experts predict bot users will find ways around the rules. And consistent enforcement across Europe’s diverse legal systems could be difficult.
Canada
In Canada, anti-bot laws exist but vary between provinces. Ontario and Quebec have passed provincial laws prohibiting bot use and ticket scalping. Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba are also considering similar legislation.
The Canadian anti-scalping law includes fines up to $25,000 for first offenses and up to $100,000 for repeat offenses. The laws have seen mixed success, as bot use is still widespread despite the threat of hefty fines.
Australia
Australia does not currently have federal anti-bot laws. However, a proposal to ban ticket bots is working its way through the Australian Parliament as of late 2022.
The proposed Australian law would ban the use of bots to purchase tickets along with reselling software. Fines up to $5,000 AUD per ticket could apply. The bill has received bipartisan political support but has not yet passed into law.
Challenges enforcing ticket bot laws
While anti-bot laws are spreading, most countries are finding enforcement difficult. Ticket bots remain widely used worldwide, despite the threat of legal penalties. There are several challenges regulators face in cracking down on ticket bots:
- Hard to detect – Bots hide their automated activity behind fake human profiles, making them difficult to identify.
- Whack-a-mole – Once one bot net is shut down, new ones quickly take their place in a constant game of cat and mouse.
- Cross-border – International bot networks operate across borders, making them hard to pin down.
- Weak penalties – Fines may be seen as a minor cost of doing business for high-profit scalpers.
- Burden of enforcement – Expecting under-resourced regulators to prosecute each case is unrealistic.
These factors mean while anti-bot laws are an important step, better prevention systems are also needed. Making it harder for bots to operate in the first place through improved online defenses will further the impact of laws banning them.
Defenses against ticket bots
If ticket bots are so difficult to eradicate entirely through laws, what other defenses can limit their impact? Here are some bot prevention measures increasingly used by major ticket sellers:
CAPTCHA tests
CAPTCHA tests that make users prove they are human before buying tickets create an obstacle for bots. The tests are easy for real people but tough for non-human software to pass.
Purchase limits
Restricting the number of tickets someone can buy slows down bot bulk purchases. Limits of 2-6 tickets are common at major ticket outlets.
Pre-registration
Requiring fans register ahead of a sale gives sellers data to filter out bot accounts and target tickets to real humans.
Ticket transfer bans
Banning ticket transfers prevents scalpers from reselling initial bot purchases to new buyers later on resale sites.
Cancellation of orders
Monitoring for suspicious bulk orders that indicate bot activity and canceling those purchases before tickets are issued.
A combination of legal deterrents, technical defenses, and buyer awareness about shady bot brokers are all needed to help tackle the ticket bot problem.
Ethics of using ticket bots
Separate from the legality, there are also ethical concerns around using ticket bots. Critics argue the practice is unethical, while bot defenders claim they are no more unfair than any other business aiming to profit. Here are some perspectives on the ethics of ticket bot usage:
Arguments that bots are unethical:
- They cut regular fans out of the market – Bots suck up ticket supply before real people can buy.
- They force people to pay inflated prices – Markups can add hundreds or thousands to ticket costs.
- They favor wealthy buyers – Wealthy scalpers profit off regular fans priced out of the market.
- Artists and teams lose out – Performers lose control of pricing and distribution.
- It contributes no value – Bots don’t create value, only divert ticket profits.
Arguments in defense of bots:
- They provide a service – Bots provide tickets to fans who can’t buy them directly.
- Prices match demand – Higher prices just reflect what buyers are willing to pay.
- Fans drive scalping – Scalpers only operate if fans pay inflated prices.
- It’s just business – Buying tickets to resell for profit is basic commerce.
- Sellers could do more – Ticket sellers don’t have to allow bots and transfers.
There are good-faith points on both sides of this debate around the ethics of bott use and ticket scalping. Ultimately it’s a complex issue involving economics, digital systems, and consumer expectations.
The future of ticket bot technology
Looking ahead, what does the future hold for ticket bots? Some possible trajectories include:
- More sophisticated bots – Already AI and machine learning is being used to create smarter evasion systems.
- Shift to general scalping bots – If ticket bots are shut down, scalper focus could shift to other limited goods.
- Black market development – More criminal networks emerge selling effective ticket bots on hidden parts of the internet.
- Arms race continues – Ticket sellers implement increasingly complex verification but bot developers counter those defenses.
- Consolidation into dominant bot companies – Economies of scale allow a few big bot firms to corner the market.
Based on the cat and mouse game so far, it seems unlikely ticket bots will disappear entirely anytime soon. While not condoned by society, economic incentives will likely drive continued development of ever more capable scalping bots into the foreseeable future.
Conclusion
Ticket bots remain a contentious issue, benefiting scalpers while frustrating everyday fans. Outlawing their use is an important step but has proven difficult to enforce in practice. For anti-bot laws to have teeth, ticket sellers need to implement better technical countermeasures making it harder for bots to operate.
There are also broader ethical debates around the norms, economic fairness and business practices surrounding ticket scalping online. Like many issues surrounding new technology, there are no perfect solutions thus far. But a combination of appropriate laws, technical defenses and public awareness around ticket bots can help restore more balance and give fans a fair shot at buying tickets.