LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Michigan is taking new steps to combat ticket-buying bots after years of complaints from fans who say automated software has made buying tickets nearly impossible.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently signed a bipartisan package of bills allowing the Michigan Attorney General to pursue enforcement against individuals and organizations that use bots to bypass ticket-purchasing limits and resell tickets at inflated prices. Violators could face civil penalties of up to $5,000 per ticket.
State Rep. Mike Harris (R-Waterford Township) said the problem became impossible to ignore during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, when tickets were snapped up within minutes and reappeared on resale sites for thousands of dollars.
“So these bots are bad actors that you software to get behind the security systems of platforms like Ticketmaster, and StubHub, and they buy up thousands of tickets in minutes, if not less,” Harris said. “And they make it so the average person can’t access those tickets.”
Harris said some Eras Tour tickets were resold for extreme prices.
“During the Taylor Swift Eras tour, we saw them going for upwards of $10,000 a ticket,” he said.
The new laws allow Michigan to act independently rather than relying only on the federal Better Online Ticket Sales Act. Harris said state-level enforcement keeps penalties and restitution in Michigan.
“We’re empowering the attorney general to actually take action here in the state and not have to go under the Federal Bots Act,” Harris said, adding that federal enforcement can be “very convoluted.”
The legislation also clarifies that it targets organized operations, not everyday fans reselling a ticket.
“These are basically organized crimes,” Harris said. “These are groups that are purposely targeting these tickets, buying them all up.”
Harris said ticket platforms, including Ticketmaster and StubHub, supported the legislation and worked with lawmakers during the drafting process. The laws are expected to take effect on Tuesday, March 23.
