Tasmanian Opposition leader calls for anti-scalping legislation

As Tasmanians enter into the festival season, Tasmanian Labor Leader Rebecca White has called for anti-scalping legislation stating that the issue of ticket scalping is a primary concern.

White noted “nobody wins from ticket scalping other than the person or business on-selling the tickets. Fans face huge mark-ups, and no benefits flow to the artist.

“That’s why all other Australian states have acted to crack down on ticket scalping. We think it’s time Tasmania followed their lead to stamp out practices that rip off Tasmanians.”

Examples given by Labor where ticket scalpers are benefitting in Tasmania include a:

• Two-day pass for the Falls Festival at Marion Bay marked up by 35%
• 72% mark up for the Hunters and Collectors
• 102% mark up on The Wiggles

Tasmanian band Luca Brasi is part of the line up at this year’s Falls Festival. Front man Tyler Richardson advised that ticket scalping is hurting the music industry “touring and live shows is where bands make their livelihood. Ticket scalping cuts the throats of bands, because someone else is getting the benefit of massively inflated ticket prices.

“And scalping hurts the fans. We’ve had instances of fans buying fake tickets, or buying re-sold tickets for huge markups, but not being able to get into the show. Watching fans get ripped off is so disheartening.

“Whether the scalping is happening online or in the real world, we want to see laws that protect both fans and artists.”

White suggested the kinds of restrictions that should be implemented include:

• Banning the sale of tickets for more than 10% of their original price
• Banning ‘ticket bots’, which scalpers use to harvest tickets as soon as they become available online
• Making it an offence to host advertisements for ticket sales that contravene these laws

White added “Tasmanians want to be able to enjoy home grown and visiting artists at a reasonable price. It’s time to stamp out practices that exploit consumers.”

Image of Falls Festival at Marion Bay