OLYMPIA, Wash. (CelebrityAccess) — The Washington state House of Representatives has passed a bill to outlaw automated ticket purchasing software, or bots.
The measure, known as House Bill 1091, makes use of bots a violation of the state Consumer Protection Act. The bill was passed unanimously by the House and will now head to the state's Senate for consideration.
State Attorney General Robert Ferguson, who proposed the bill said that Ticketmaster claims that bots are often used to buy more than 60 percent of the most desirable tickets for shows while Seattle Theatre Group’s Executive Director Josh LaBelle finds 35–40 percent of tickets for hot shows are often purchased by bots.
“My office is dedicated to the principle that consumers deserve a fair deal,” said Ferguson. “Outlawing ticket bots will keep the hard-earned money of fans in their pockets, instead of fattening the wallets of scalpers who use electronic trickery to game the system.”
If the bill becomes law, Washington would join thirteen other states, including California, New York, and Maryland which have passed similar measures. – Staff Writers
