New York’s regulatory scheme for event ticketing is one of the most complex of its kind, and is no stranger to overhauls of various provisions, which seek to protect consumers from unfair and predatory ticketing practices. The landscape’s most recent update occurred on June 30, when Governor Hochul signed into law a bill (S. 9461, “Enacts Into Law Components of Legislation That Relate to Live Event Ticket Sales,” 2021-2022 Legis. Sess. (N.Y. 2022)) modifying certain regulations governing live-event ticket sales, which are codified in New York’s Arts and Cultural Affairs Law (ACAL). The bill was introduced by Sen. James Skoufis on May 30th following a year-long legislative inquiry into the current state of ticketing practices in New York.
This article summarizes and discusses the key changes implemented by the new law, and provides some insights into what these changes might signal for New York’s ticketing priorities in the future. As discussed further below, the new law principally (1) affects the rules governing disclosure requirements for primary ticket sale prices; and (2) restricts the means of secondary ticket resale, including by expanding penalties for the use of scalper bots and unauthorized ticket purchasing software.
