What's happening
This bill requires entertainment ticket sellers to publicly disclose the number and type of tickets available before sales, with penalties for noncompliance.
Why it matters
Increases transparency for ticket buyers. By requiring operators to disclose the number and type of tickets available (including general sale, VIP, fan club, and free tickets), the bill gives consumers a clearer understanding of their actual chances to purchase tickets at face value, reducing confusion and the feeling of being misled by "sold out" events.
Sheds light on industry practices. The mandatory breakdown of ticket allocations exposes how many tickets are actually released to the public versus those held back for insiders, VIPs, or promotional deals, making it easier to identify potential unfair practices or backdoor reselling.
Targets venues benefiting from public funds. The bill is particularly relevant for large venues (over 3,000 seats), including those receiving tax credits or state rebates, ensuring that public investments in entertainment infrastructure are accompanied by fairer access for the general public.
Introduces meaningful enforcement. The inclusion of civil penalties (up to $1,000 per violation) creates a financial incentive for compliance, meaning operators face real consequences if they fail to provide the required disclosures, potentially deterring deceptive practices.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Require Ticket Sale Transparency
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to consumer protection
- Referred to consumer protection
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3702
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 26, 2017
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation to fair practices in the sale of entertainment tickets
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Fair practices in the sale of entertainment tickets act".
§ 2. Legislative findings and declarations. The legislature finds and declares that transactions involving tickets for admission to places of entertainment are a matter of public interest and subject to the supervision of New York state and the appropriate political subdivisions of the state for the purpose of safeguarding the public against fraud, extortion, price gouging and similar abuses.
The legislature finds that venues, promoters and entertainers routinely set aside thousands of tickets prior to the public sale. The legislature further finds that these tickets then are sold at prices far above face value.
With some concerts, as few as two thousand or three thousand tickets might be available to the general public in an arena with more than fifteen thousand seats. This is especially a concern when the place of entertainment is a venue that receives significant tax credits or rebates from the state. The legislature seeks to ensure that the public has full notice of and information relating to the sale of tickets at places of entertainment in New York state.
§ 3. The general business law is amended by adding a new article 40 to read as follows:
ARTICLE 40
FAIR PRACTICES IN THE SALE OF ENTERTAINMENT TICKETS Section 900. Definitions.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00192-01-7
S. 3702 2
901. Public disclosure of ticket sales and availability and
numbers thereof.
902. Civil penalty.
§ 900. Definitions. As used in this article the following terms shall have the meanings as indicated:
1. "Entry fee" means the price fixed for a ticket at the time of initial sale by the operator of any place of entertainment for admission to an event.
2. "Event" means all forms of entertainment at places of entertainment including, but not limited to, performances, concerts, musical and all types of athletic competitions including football, basketball, baseball, boxing, tennis, hockey, and any other sport. Event shall not mean any kind of performance regularly scheduled to take place on a daily basis at the same venue over the course of one or more weeks.
3. "Operator" means any person who leases, owns, operates, or controls a place of entertainment or who promotes or produces an event held at a place of entertainment.
4. "Place of entertainment" means any privately or publicly owned, leased or operated location that has a permanent seating capacity in excess of three thousand persons including but not limited to a theater, stadium, arena, racetrack, or other place where performances, concerts, athletic games or contests are held for which an entry fee is charged.
5. "Sale date" means the first day tickets are made available for purchase.
6. "Ticket" means any evidence of the right of entry to any place of entertainment.
7. "Ticket office" means a building or other structure located other than at the place of entertainment, at which the operator or the operator's agent offers tickets for first sale to the public.
§ 901. Public disclosure of ticket sales and availability and numbers thereof. 1. All operators who sell tickets for entertainment at places of entertainment shall be required to post the number of total seats for the event, number of tickets for sale to the general public on the sale date, the number of tickets for sale as VIP tickets prior to the sale date, the number of tickets sold through the entertainer's or sport team's fan club or other promotional opportunity prior to the sale date, and the number of tickets that will be made available for free whether by the operator, entertainer or sporting team.
2. This information shall be available at the ticket office and posted on the promoter's website no less than forty-eight hours prior to the sale date for the event.
§ 902. Civil penalty. Any person, firm, corporation or association or agent or employee thereof who fails to comply with this article shall be liable to a civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars for each violation, which shall accrue to the state of New York and may be recovered in a civil action.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the general business law, in relation to fair practices in the sale of entertainment tickets
Purpose
To provide the public disclosure on the sales of entertainment tickets, availability of tickets to places of entertainment.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 titles this act as the "Fair practices in the sale of entertainment tickets."
Section 2 sets forth the legislative findings and declarations.
Section 3 amends the general business law to add a new Article 41. Article 41 Section 900 sets forth definitions. Section 901 sets forth posting requirements related to the sale of tickets by places of entertainment, including disclosing the number of tickets available for an event, the number of tickets sold starting on the public on sale date, and number of tickets held for VIPs and for artist or team. 902 sets forth a civil penalty of up to no more than $1,000 per violation of the Fair practices in the sale of entertainment tickets.
Section 4 sets forth the effective date.
Justification
The sale of tickets to entertainment events has been an area of public complaint. In many instances events at 18,000 seat arenas are only making available 4,000 at the public and as a result there is a large secondary market that makes it impossible for members of the general public to get tickets at an affordable rate. In many instances performing artists are retaining their own tickets and then selling them at higher rates to designated groups. Because most of the places of entertainment receive public funding or subsidies in the form of large tax breaks or other incentives the public has a right to full information about how tickets are sold at these locations.
Legislative history
2015-16: S.4459 Referred to Consumer Protection.
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.