FTC Sues Ticketmaster, Seeks Billions in Fines Over Bot Use and Fees

The Federal Trade Commission filed a civil lawsuit in California federal court Thursday against Ticketmaster, the dominant online ticket broker controlled by Live Nation, accusing the company of profiting from bot-driven ticket resales and deceptive checkout pricing. The filing seeks billions of dollars in penalties under the Better Online Ticket Sales Act and includes three charges alleging bot-enabled purchases, inflated checkout fees, and the circumvention of publicly stated purchase limits.

Filed in U.S. District Court in California, the FTC's complaint contends that Ticketmaster allowed bots to resell millions of tickets beyond publicly announced limits since the BOTS Act took effect. It also says the company advertises deceptively low prices in search results while applying mandatory fees at checkout that can push the final cost well above the displayed price, with fees sometimes accounting for 30% or more of the ticket price. The agency further alleges the company profits from processing fees and resale markups when tickets are resold on its platform, a dynamic that reportedly disincentivizes the use of stronger anti-bot technology.

The complaint identifies three charges under the BOTS Act and related misrepresentations, including bot-enabled purchases in violation of the law, deceptive pricing that misleads consumers, and failure to enforce purchase limits publicly stated by Ticketmaster. The agency notes that penalties under the BOTS Act can be steep, with fines up to $53,000 per violation, and that the total exposure could be significant if the court finds a pattern of harm.

"The Trump-Vance FTC is working hard to ensure that fans have a shot at buying fair-priced tickets and today’s lawsuit is a monumental step in that direction," FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson said in a statement. A spokesman for the agency added that the action reflects a broader push to curb abusive online resale practices led by the administration.

The suit arrives after settlement talks between Ferguson’s office and Ticketmaster officials broke down last week, according to a source familiar with the matter. It also follows a March executive order from President Donald Trump directing the FTC to sharpen enforcement of the BOTS Act and to pursue stronger remedies for consumers.

Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, has publicly supported efforts to reform resale practices, saying it backs meaningful reforms such as more enforcement of the BOTS Act, caps on resale prices, and stricter enforcement against bots. Lawmakers from both parties have pressed for action amid ongoing concerns about Ticketmaster’s dominance in the primary-sale market, where some analyses have estimated the company controls roughly 70% to 80% of the market.

Public attention to Ticketmaster increased after issues with Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour tickets spurred widespread backlash and lawsuits from fans. The Justice Department opened an antitrust review of Live Nation in recent years, and last year the FTC filed suit against another reseller, Key Investment Group, for allegedly using bots to snap up tickets to high-demand events and resell them at inflated prices. Key has denied wrongdoing and said it complies with the BOTS Act.

From 2019 through 2024, customers spent more than $82.6 billion on tickets brokered by Ticketmaster, according to the FTC. The agency contends that Ticketmaster’s business model creates incentives to tolerate or even enable bot activity because it profits from fees and markups when the tickets are resold on its platform, potentially limiting the effectiveness of anti-bot technology if stronger enforcement threatens revenue.

The case represents a high-profile test of the BOTS Act and its ability to curb automated ticket-buying practices that regulators say distort access to popular events. If the court finds in the FTC’s favor, penalties could be assessed on a wide scale, and the decision could prompt refunds to harmed consumers and additional reforms across the online-ticket marketplace.