- Music
- 10 May 17
The Sale of Tickets (Sporting and Cultural Events) Bill 2017, which is being put forward by Sinn Fein TD Maurice Quinlivan, and was previously proposed by Noel Rock TD, seems destined to pass unopposed when it is put before the Dáil tomorrow.
A bill effectively banning ticket touting will be passed by the Dáil tomorrow – unless someone has a drastic change of heart in the next 24 hours.
According to Sinn Fein's news outlet An Phoblacht, the proposed Bill has cross-party support, with Fine Gael making it clear that they will not oppose it, and Fianna Fail apparently rowing in behind the legislation.
If the Bill becomes law, it will make it illegal to resell a ticket for more than 10% above its face value, with anyone found to be in breach of this being liable to a fine of up to €5,000.
The Bill aims to curtail the influence of authorised secondary ticket-sellers – including Viagogo, Stubhub and Seatwave – who have been criticised for allowing tickets for concerts by the likes of U2, Coldplay and new Hot Press cover stars Guns N'Roses to be sold for hugely inflated prices.
Seatwave is owned by Ireland's largest ticket seller, Ticketmaster – who have been critical of the move to outlaw the re-sale of tickets. They have made the point that only 1% of the tickets the company sells on behalf of its clients are subsequently resold, suggesting that the media frenzy around the resale of tickets has "only served to confuse the public and sensationalise the issue."
Ticketmaster have also argued that any law would push the market underground. In a yet-to-be-published interview with Hot Press, Managing Director of Ticketmaster Keith English made the point that the legislation would not solve the problem of bots and scalpers snapping up tickets as soon as they're released. It would only drive the market from legitimate sites to unauthorised online sites – rendering it much more likely that fans will be ripped off. As an alternative approach, Keith English advocated Ticketmaster's "Verified Fan" offering, where fans can pre-register and get priority.
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"The Verified Fan option was tried out in the US for an Ed Sheeran tour," he told Hot Press, "and it was reported to have been relatively successful. There were reports of a 90% reduction in the amount of tickets being resold for that concert, which clearly shows that the idea has weight."
Stubhub have also made a submission in relation to the proposed law, asking if it is appropriate, necessary and proportionate for the State to intervene in what they describe as a "competitive, international, secondary marketplace." They argue that there is a high degree of public support for the secondary ticket market and strong support for the right to re-sell tickets freely.
Viagogo – set up in Ireland with the support of the IDA – has also lined up against the bill. They say that their service helps to protect consumers by ensuring that only 'legitimate sellers' are allowed on the platform.
While Fine Gael's Noel Rock had previously tried to pushed through a Private Members' Bill to the same effect as Mr. Quinlivan's, the Bill was ultimately sidelined because it banned the reselling of tickets online, which prohibited not just the likes of Seatwave, but also prohibited people from selling their tickets on social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, or even to a friend in the event that they can't make it to an event. Maurice Quinlivan's Bill does not stop people selling their tickets to friends or other fans online.