Live Performance Australia (LPA), the body that represents live producers and promoters in the country, has called on the federal government to impose legislation against ticketing bots.
Following the UK’s criminalisation of the use of automatic ticket-buying software and the US Congress introducing the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act in December, LPA said Australia is “missing in action” without a similar protection.
Resale ticket prices for major artists have been massively inflated on the secondary market in Australia. Tickets to a Crowded House concert at the Sydney Opera House were advertised for up to A$1,500 (£850/$1,100/€1,000) on resale sites, which was ten times the original A$120. Meanwhile, several Adele (pictured) tickets were being advertised for up to A$5,000.
“Bots are a global problem, and Australia should be part of the global response,” said LPA chief executive Evelyn Richardson, according to the Daily Review website.
“Bot activity also affects the operation of ticketing websites, slowing down performance and making it harder for fans to complete their purchase.
“For some popular shows, bots can make up the majority of visits to online ticketing sites.”
Earlier in the year, Australia’s senate passed a motion proposed by the prominent campaigning politician Nick Xenophon.
The motion was not supported by the Australian government, but passed the senate with the support of a broad coalition. Xenophon’s motion and the rest of the bill now returns to the House of Representatives before progressing to potentially become law.
Currently, legislation relating to ticketing in Australia is handled at a state level, but Xenophon believes a federal law would be preferable.
Most recently, the state of Victoria may overhaul its Major Sporting Events Act to include some live music events into its anti-scalping law, while also criminalising the selling of tickets at inflated prices.
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