WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced the Guaranteeing Honest Ownership in Secondary Ticketing (GHOST) Act, legislation to protect fans and concertgoers from deceptive ticket resale practices by prohibiting resellers from selling tickets they do not actually possess.

“West Virginians who spend their hard-earned money on tickets to see their favorite artist, team, or event should be able to trust that the tickets they’re purchasing actually exist. Unfortunately, deceptive practices in the resale market can leave consumers paying inflated prices for tickets that sellers don’t even possess. I’m proud to support this legislation, which includes commonsense protections that will bring greater transparency and accountability to the ticket marketplace and ensure a fairer ticket-buying experience,” Senator Capito said.

“I’m proud to introduce this legislation to protect ticket buyers because when New Mexicans spend their hard-earned money on a concert or event, they deserve to know the ticket they are buying actually exists,” Senator Luján said. “Too often, fans are misled into purchasing tickets from resellers who don’t even have them. That’s why I introduced the GHOST Act to protect consumers, hold bad actors accountable, and bring greater transparency and fairness to the ticket marketplace.”

Specifically, the GHOST Act would:

  1. Ban ticket resellers from selling tickets they do not have actual possession of;
  2. Empower the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action against violators and seek injunctive and monetary relief;
  3. Require the FTC to establish a website where consumers can report potential violations of the GHOST Act and the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act of 2016; and
  4. Allow state attorneys general to bring actions to enforce the law.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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