Consumer Protection - Sale and Resale of Event Tickets - Registration and Regulation
HB0077 creates a new “Ticket Resale Consumer Protection and Transparency Act” in the Commercial Law Article to regulate the resale of event tickets in Maryland. The bill would require ticket resellers who sell or offer to sell at least 50 tickets in a calendar year to register annually with the Division of Consumer Protection in the Office of the Attorney General, provide identifying and contact information, and maintain a surety bond of at least $10,000. It also requires registrants and secondary ticket exchanges to keep and report detailed sales information, and directs the Division to publish a public list of registrants and any recent violations.
The bill also imposes consumer-facing rules on ticket listings and transactions. It requires disclosure of the total ticket price, itemized fees and taxes, and seat/section information where applicable; caps resale prices at the original total price plus 10 percent; caps secondary marketplace service fees at 10 percent of the original ticket price; prohibits the sale of speculative tickets; and requires refunds for counterfeit tickets, canceled events, or tickets that do not match the advertised description. It further limits restrictions on transferability of tickets sold to the general public, while preserving venue rules on conduct, age, public health, safety, and quantity limits, and requires anti-bot technology to prevent automated circumvention of ticket limits.
If enacted, the bill would repeal existing Section 13-310.1 and add a new subtitle to the Commercial Law Article, making violations of the ticket resale rules an unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practice under the Maryland Consumer Protection Act. That means the Attorney General and other enforcement mechanisms under Title 13 would apply, including penalties and consumer protection remedies. The bill would directly affect ticket resellers, secondary ticket exchanges, ticket issuers, venues, promoters, sports teams, theaters, and consumers purchasing tickets for entertainment events in Maryland.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears to be consumer-protection oriented and aimed at increasing transparency and curbing abusive ticket resale practices. The bill’s structure suggests support for stronger oversight of the secondary ticket market, with emphasis on disclosure, accountability, and refund rights. No contrary viewpoints are documented in the provided context, so there is no recorded public split or vote history to indicate broader legislative opposition or support.
The main points of contention likely center on the bill’s price caps, registration threshold, and operational burdens on the ticket resale industry. Resellers and secondary ticket exchanges may object to the 10 percent resale and service-fee limits, the annual registration requirement, the surety bond, and the obligation to report detailed transaction data. Ticket issuers and venues may also have concerns about the limits on transfer restrictions, though the bill preserves certain venue-based restrictions and quantity limits. Consumer advocates would likely support the bill’s anti-scalping, anti-bot, and refund provisions, while industry stakeholders may argue that the rules interfere with market pricing and platform operations.