CITIZENS NEWS

Trump takes on ticket scalpers with new executive order targeting bots and price gouging

By isabelle // 2025-04-01

• President Trump signed an executive order targeting ticket scalping and bots to protect consumers from inflated prices.
• The order enforces the BOTS Act, mandates price transparency, and requires IRS compliance for resellers.
• Agencies must submit recommendations within six months to further combat unfair ticketing practices.
• Live Nation supports the order, citing scalpers and bots as barriers to fair ticket access for fans.
• Experts warn enforcement will determine the order’s success, as past efforts have fallen short.

In a move aimed at protecting American consumers from exorbitant ticket prices, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday cracking down on ticket scalping and the use of automated bots that drive up costs for fans. The order, signed in the Oval Office with musician Kid Rock in attendance, directs federal agencies to enforce existing laws against price gouging, increase transparency in ticket sales, and deliver recommendations for further reforms within six months. The issue of ticket scalping has long frustrated concertgoers and sports fans alike, with bots and resellers snatching up tickets within seconds—only to relist them at astronomical markups. While the Biden administration previously targeted "junk fees" in ticketing, Trump’s order goes further by directly confronting the root of the problem: scalpers and automated systems that manipulate the market.

A longstanding problem for fans

For years, high-demand events ranging from concerts to major sporting events have seen tickets vanish almost instantly, only to reappear on secondary markets at prices several times their face value. The Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, passed in 2016, was meant to curb this practice, but enforcement has been inconsistent. "Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years, no matter what your politics are, knows it’s a conundrum," Kid Rock told reporters at the White House. "If you buy a ticket for 100 bucks, by the time you check out, it's 170. You don't know what you can charge for it, but more importantly, these bots come in to get all the good tickets to your favorite shows, and then they're relisted immediately for sometimes a 400 or 500% markup." The president’s order directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and state officials to strengthen enforcement of anti-scalping laws, ensure price transparency, and evaluate whether additional regulations are needed to protect consumers.

How the order works

The executive order includes several key provisions:

• Enforcement of the BOTS Act: Federal and state authorities will be directed to aggressively pursue cases against scalpers using automated software to buy tickets in bulk.
• Price Transparency: Secondary ticket sellers must disclose full pricing breakdowns upfront, eliminating hidden fees that inflate costs.
• IRS Compliance: Scalpers will be required to fully report income from resales, ensuring they pay taxes on profits.
• 180-Day Review: The Treasury Department, DOJ, and FTC must submit a report within six months outlining further actions to combat unfair practices.

The White House emphasized that the live entertainment industry generates $132.6 billion in economic impact and supports 913,000 jobs—but scalpers and bots siphon profits away from artists and venues while gouging fans. Live Nation, the parent company of Ticketmaster, issued a statement supporting the order: "Scalpers and bots prevent fans from getting tickets at the prices artists set, and we thank President Trump for taking them head-on. We support any meaningful resale reforms—including more enforcement of the BOTS Act, caps on resale prices, and more." The move comes after years of bipartisan frustration over ticketing monopolies and resale abuses. Last year, the DOJ and multiple state attorneys general sued Live Nation and Ticketmaster, accusing them of anti-competitive practices. Meanwhile, the Biden administration had previously targeted "junk fees" but did not directly address scalping bots—a distinction Trump’s team highlighted.

A win for consumers... if it's enforced

While the executive order is a significant step, experts caution that real change depends on rigorous enforcement. Past attempts to regulate the ticketing industry have been undermined by lax oversight and loopholes. Still, for millions of Americans who have faced sky-high prices just to see their favorite artists or teams, the order represents a long-awaited crackdown. President Trump, upon signing the order, called it "a big step to getting this stopped." Whether it delivers on that promise will depend on how aggressively federal and state authorities act in the coming months. Sources for this article include: JustTheNews.com FoxNews.com Reuters.com

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