SALEM, OR – Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill to ban resellers or people affiliated with resellers from offering event tickets they don’t actually have, unless they have a written contract to obtain the ticket from an initial sale.

House Bill 4024, which has bipartisan support, comes as states including Maryland, Minnesota and Maine in recent years passed restrictions on speculative tickets while many other states have introduced legislation to prohibit the practice.

Bill sponsor Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, told lawmakers on the House Commerce and Consumer Protection committee this week that she’s heard countless stories of Oregonians unknowingly buying fake tickets.

“Someone in my district paid $3,000 for two tickets to see Willie Nelson at the Britt,” she said, referring to a hillside venue in Jacksonville. “They turned out to be speculative. Up north, a Portland resident spent $446 for tickets purchased through a reseller to see a live performance of ‘Wicked.’ When she arrived at Keller Auditorium, people with the real tickets were already in those seats.”

Several arts and culture venue managers testified in favor of the bill, telling lawmakers that within hours of announcing an event there are usually online listings for tickets that haven’t yet been made available, and online platforms often use language suggesting ticket scarcity and listing them at prices much higher than the actual price.

“This deceptive practice happens for every single show we announce at the venue,” said Marney Smith, an owner and general manager of Hayden Homes Amphitheater, a popular Bend venue.

The bill advanced on a 7-3 committee vote Thursday and is headed to the full Oregon House for a vote.

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