Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting 'Exploitive Ticket Scalping'

Sarah Arnold | March 31, 2025 7:30 PM

President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order to curtail exploitative ticket scalping in the entertainment industry. The order addresses concerns over inflated ticket prices and limited access to live events due to resellers and automated bots. By implementing stricter regulations, the move is intended to ensure that more Americans have a fair opportunity to purchase tickets at reasonable prices.

On Monday, Trump announced he would sign an executive order to reform the live entertainment ticketing industry. The order will direct Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to ensure that ticket scalpers operate in full compliance with the Internal Revenue Code, among other laws.

“Ticket scalpers use bots and other unfair means to acquire large quantities of face-value tickets, then re-sell them at an enormous markup on the secondary market, price-gouging consumers and depriving fans of the opportunity to see their favorite artists without incurring extraordinary expenses," a White House official told Fox News. "By some reports, fans have paid as much as 70 times the face value of a ticket price to obtain a ticket.”

The White House official said that artists or teams do not receive any additional profit for this, adding that it goes directly to the scalper and the ticketing agency.

Within 180 days, the Treasury Department, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Trade Commission must submit a report outlining the steps to tackle unfair practices in the live entertainment industry. The report will also propose new regulations or legislation to better safeguard consumers. Trump’s executive order aims to ensure price transparency throughout ticket-buying, including resale platforms. It also directs officials to assess and, if necessary, take action against any unfair, deceptive, or anti-competitive practices within the secondary ticketing market.