SB 6175 is a comprehensive ticket-sales regulation bill that would create a new chapter in Washington law governing the primary and secondary markets for admission tickets to entertainment and sporting events. The bill is framed as the Washington Access and Venue Equity Act, or WAVE Act, and states legislative findings that ticket markets have become confusing, fee-heavy, and vulnerable to fraud. It defines key terms such as all-in price, primary ticket seller, reseller, secondary ticket exchange, speculative ticket, presale, and ticket resale marketplace, and it applies broadly to concerts, theater, festivals, sporting events, exhibitions, and similar activities held in the state.
The bill would require ticket sellers and resellers to disclose the all-in price up front, prohibit speculative ticket sales and certain pre-onsale listings, and restrict misleading practices such as implying affiliation with artists or venues without written consent. It also bars resellers from altering digital tickets, duplicating or reselling the same ticket to multiple buyers, or seeking refunds from primary sellers after reselling a ticket. The measure adds disclosure requirements for resale websites and mobile apps, including prominent notice that the site is a reseller and not the primary seller, and it limits the use of artist, team, or venue names in web addresses when done to gain search-engine advantage or mislead consumers.
A major structural change in the bill is a licensing system administered by the Department of Licensing. Commercial ticket resellers and ticket resale marketplaces operating in Washington would need licenses, with separate license classes for marketplaces and commercial resellers. The department would set fees, establish rules, maintain a public reporting website for violations, issue annual reports to the legislature, and may suspend or revoke licenses. The bill also creates a surety-bond requirement to compensate consumers if tickets are not delivered and to compensate original sellers when resale activity violates the original sale terms.
The bill would also create civil penalties and a private right of action for certain violations, including price-limit violations, speculative ticket sales, fraud, and failure to provide guaranteed refunds for canceled or illegitimate tickets. It amends existing RCW provisions related to ticket sales and unfair or deceptive acts, and declares violations to be unfair or deceptive practices under the Consumer Protection Act. The bill includes exemptions and special treatment for nonprofits, charities, schools, tribal institutions, movie theaters, and some sports events, and it allows reduced or tiered fees for nonprofits and small organizations.
The overall sentiment reflected in the bill text is strongly consumer-protection oriented, with an emphasis on transparency, fairness, and preventing fraud in ticket resale. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, there is no direct evidence of legislative debate or partisan division in the supplied materials. The main likely points of contention are the breadth of regulation over the secondary ticket market, the licensing and bonding requirements for resellers and marketplaces, the resale price and fee caps, and the restrictions on website marketing and ticket-transfer practices, which could be viewed by resellers as burdensome while consumer advocates and event operators would likely support them.
SB 6175 would substantially expand Washington state regulation of ticket sales by creating a new statutory framework for primary and secondary ticket markets, adding consumer-protection duties, and imposing licensing, bonding, disclosure, and enforcement requirements on resellers and resale marketplaces. It would amend existing RCW provisions governing ticket sales and unfair or deceptive acts, and it would make many violations actionable under the Consumer Protection Act, while also authorizing civil penalties, license suspension or revocation, and surety-bond claims for consumers and original ticket sellers.
The bill’s stated purpose and structure indicate a pro-consumer, anti-fraud approach, with support implied for transparency, affordability, and protection of artists, venues, nonprofits, and consumers from deceptive resale practices. No committee testimony or votes were provided, so there is no recorded public debate in the supplied materials; however, the bill’s detailed restrictions suggest it would likely be welcomed by consumer advocates and event venues while drawing skepticism from ticket resellers, secondary marketplaces, and others affected by the new compliance obligations.
The most notable points of contention are likely to be the new licensing regime for commercial resellers and resale marketplaces, the surety-bond requirement, the limits on resale pricing and service fees, and the restrictions on speculative tickets, presales, and marketing practices that use artist or venue names. Resellers and marketplace operators may view these provisions as overly restrictive or costly, while supporters would argue they are necessary to curb hidden fees, fraud, duplicate ticket sales, and misleading online practices. The bill also carves out exemptions for nonprofits, schools, tribal institutions, and certain sports-related sales, which may reduce but not eliminate concerns about scope and administrative burden.