New Illinois bill aims to ban speculative ticket sales for live events
Chicago arts venues say there's a common practice that harms audiences and the venues themselves.
It's called speculative ticketing, and venues are joining lawmakers in trying to ban it.
For fans of the arts, there's a common affliction called "front gate heartbreak."
"When audiences arrive at a performance only to learn that they do not actually have a valid admission ticket," said Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Illinois).
It's the worst-case scenario that results from speculative ticketing.
"They are usually online listings for tickets that haven't been made yet available," he said.
Sellers don't yet have the tickets in hand, but they promise to deliver before the event.
"Every day, patrons are being sold what they believe are valid tickets when in reality they are only paying for a chance that someone may be able to secure a seat," said John Mangum, general director of Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Chicago arts venues are united in their disdain for the deceptive practice.
"Speculative ticketing creates confusion, puts pressure on our front of house teams, and damages the relationship between arts organizations and their audiences," said Sharie Massey, deputy and CFO of the Joffrey Ballet.
"They replicate our websites. They use our logos, our artists' unlicensed images, and they appear legitimate," said Lori Dimun, president and CEO of Haris Theater for Music and Dance.
Ravinia recently released its concert schedule, and the CEO said he was shocked by the amount of speculative ticket sales.
"Tickets being sold for concerts that even weren't announced yet, concerts that were for sale with seat maps that were wrong," said Ravinia's president and CEO, Jeffrey Haydon
Venues like the Lyric Opera, the Auditorium Theatre, the Joffrey Ballet, and the Harris Theater for Music and Dance are counting on a new bill to ban speculative ticketing.
"This is what the legislation says. You have to have those tickets in hand before you can sell them," Stadelman said.
The House bill would also set up a complaint system for customers through the state attorney general's office. It also aims to scare potential scammers.
Venues hope it could be a cure for front gate heartbreak.
"You're not buying 'a maybe.' You deserve exactly what you paid for," Dimun said.
The bill banning speculative ticketing passed through the Illinois House and is now in the hands of the Senate.
