NITO Urges Lawmakers to Pass NY Bill to Bar Speculative Tickets Despite Fans' Call for Changes

The National Independent Talent Organization is urging lawmakers to pass Assembly Bill 8659/Senate Bill 8221 — a New York Bill aiming to ban speculative tickets and limit secondary market mark-ups — though fans and consumer advocates are calling for changes to the bill.

“We are urging the passing of Assembly Bill A8659 and Senate Bill 8211 to confront the abuses embedded in New York’s live event ticketing system and protect consumers,” NITO said. “Passing this legislation would establish New York as a national leader in fighting back against exploitative ticketing practices and protecting the rights of artists and their fans.”

NITO went on to note that “one of the most important components of this bill is the establishment of tight restrictions on speculative ticketing,” as well as “the bill’s inclusion of authority to establish resale price and fee caps.”

“We also want to underscore that this legislation is not a critique of primary ticketing providers or our venue partners, who work hard to create fan-first experiences,” NITO said. “Rather, this bill addresses the unchecked behaviors and market failures that plague the secondary resale space, where regulation has not kept pace with exploitation.”

The bill is a dramatic shift from proposed legislation filed earlier in 2025 by the same primary bill sponsors, Sen. James Skoufis and Asm. Ron Kim. The January legislation had largely mirrored positions long-held by Sen. Skoufis since his 2021 investigation of the live entertainment ticketing industry. It had garnered support from groups like the National Consumers League (NCL) and Sports Fans Coalition (SFC), thanks to several pro-consumer provisions supported by the Senators investigative findings.

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Both organizations are calling for lawmakers to amend the legislation before moving forward, with advocacy groups arguing that the revised legislation would give platforms like Ticketmaster increased control on how fans can resell tickets they’ve already purchased. This can potentially undermine consumer choice and competition, especially because Ticketmaster and Live Nation already command significant market share across the primary and secondary markets.

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There are many life changing events that lead to people reselling their tickets, and these groups noted that restricting resale options would leave fewer ways for ticketholders to recoup costs. A recent study even shows that 55% of tickets resold on secondary marketplaces in 2023 were offered below face value, saving consumers more than $440 million nationwide and $41.7 million in New York alone.

While the bill has been introduced in both chambers and assigned to committee in the Assembly, it is currently awaiting further action in the Senate. Advocates are urging lawmakers to remove parts of the bill that lead to a dangerous expansion of Ticketmaster’s control of the industry.