Touts who use so-called ‘bots’ to snap up tickets in bulk and repost them on secondary websites at inflated prices could face prison under new proposals submitted by the UK’s main opposition political party.
Labour Members of Parliament, led by deputy leader Tom Watson, have tabled an amendment to the government’s digital economy bill, proposing that touts found guilty of using the software could be jailed for up to 51 weeks and fined up to £5,000 (€5,800/$6,200).
Watson told the Guardian newspaper that the government was “failing fans” on the issue.
Watson said: “They promised to protect rugby fans from unfair ticket touting but with the (rugby union) autumn internationals just begun it is clear that fans are being ripped off left, right and centre. The government must now act.
“London 2012 showed how major international tournaments can take place in the UK and have their tickets protected from touts. Ministers should have used that model for major tournaments to ensure that fans get a fair deal.”
The UK’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport select committee, which heard from a series of industry experts on the issue last week, has broadened its investigation to include a probe into the secondary market, as well as the use of bots.
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