Polis signs law protecting ticket buyers for events including sports

A new consumer protection law signed by Governor Jared Polis on Wednesday will make buying tickets to the big game a bit more tolerable in Colorado starting in August

Spurred by the insanity of trying to get Taylor Swift tickets to Empower Field at Mile High last summer, lawmakers in Colorado aimed to make ticket buyers for concerts, sporting events and more less awful for the common folk. Ticket prices for all events in the state have ballooned after the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic with even the poor-performing Denver Broncos raising the cost of entry. Meanwhile, the hot-running Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and CU Buffaloes have seen some of the highest ticket prices in sports, making the buying situation for consumers a hot mess.

House Bill 24-1378 will prevent hidden fees and service charges while also forcing event operators and resellers to provide full refunds to buyers who ended up with counterfeit tickets or passes for events that end up canceled. Among the changes is banning the use of web design tricks that resellers were using to make it seem like they were the first-party vendor. The law also makes it so operators must allow access to their events even if the ticket is bought through a reseller.

Also key in the bill for shows and concerts is language that requires refunds for shows that do not go as advertised.

“Taylor’s worldwide Eras Tour opened many people’s eyes to the ‘Bad Blood’ between Coloradans and ‘Hoax’ ticketing scams,” Polis said in a Swift song-themed post to Twitter. “This bill protects concert-goers from a ‘Labyrinth’ of hidden fees and helps ensure Coloradans don’t have another ‘Cruel Summer’ filled with fraudulent tickets. Today, Coloradans are closer than ever to being ‘Out of the Woods’ from scams.”

In May 82 out of 100 state legislators voted in favor of the bill but it was unknown until this week if it would become a law. Last year lawmakers had a similar bill pass but Polis vetoed it. The only major difference was a clause about speculative ticketing which is when resellers move tickets they do not yet have to sell, which sometimes leaves buyers without a pass.

The turn from Polis on seemingly the same issue just a year later comes even though no groups registered were in opposition to this year’s bill, according to the Secretary of State’s Office via Westword. AXS and Live Nation are neutral on the new law, according to Westword. AXS is owned by Colorado magnate Philip Anschutz’s AEG. Ticketmaster, Live Nation’s owner, is the official marketplace of the NBA and NHL.

Taylor’s worldwide Eras Tour opened many people's eyes to the “Bad Blood” between Coloradans and “Hoax” ticketing scams. This bill protects concert-goers from a “Labyrinth” of hidden fees and helps ensure Coloradans don't have another “Cruel Summer” filled with fraudulent… pic.twitter.com/ZImOMazjyJ

— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) June 6, 2024