No More Bots? New Ticket Law Demands Security Upgrades and $10K Daily Fines for Sellers

The Mitigating Automated Internet Networks for Event Ticketing Act—the MAIN Event Ticketing Act—is here to take a serious swing at automated ticket scalping. This bill significantly beefs up the existing BOTS Act by explicitly targeting the software that sneaks past website security to buy up seats. If you’ve ever tried to buy concert tickets the second they drop only to watch them vanish instantly, this law aims to stop the bots that beat you to it by making it illegal to use any software designed to actively bypass a ticket seller’s access controls or security measures.

The Security Upgrade Mandate

This isn't just about punishing bad actors; it's about forcing ticket sellers to get serious about cybersecurity. Under the MAIN Act, ticket sellers must implement and maintain "reasonable safeguards"—administrative, technical, and physical—to protect their sites and customer data. Think of it like this: your favorite ticket site can’t just post a 'two-ticket limit' and call it a day. They now have a legal obligation to use technology that actually enforces that limit. If they use outside vendors (say, for payment processing or data storage), they have to contractually require those third parties to maintain strong security, too. For ticket sellers, this means new compliance costs and an ongoing administrative burden, but for the average concert-goer, it should mean a fairer shot at scoring seats.

Reporting Circumvention: The New Watchdog Duty

Ticket issuers now have a mandatory reporting requirement that puts them on the hook if their defenses fail. If a seller finds out a bot successfully bypassed their security—a "circumvention incident"—they must report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) within a "reasonable time," but absolutely no later than 30 days after discovery. Once they report it, they must also take steps to fix the loophole immediately. This gives the FTC and law enforcement a real-time look at how bots are operating. The FTC is also required to set up a public website within six months so regular people can report violations they see, essentially turning consumers into an extra layer of oversight.

The Cost of Non-Compliance

Here’s where the bill gets heavy: the penalties for violating these new rules are steep. Anyone caught breaking the automated buying rules or failing to meet the new security requirements faces a minimum penalty of $10,000 for every day the violation continues, plus an additional minimum of $1,000 per individual violation. If the violation was intentional, tack on another $10,000 minimum fine per violation. These are serious, minimum-level fines designed to be a massive deterrent. While this is great news for consumers hoping to see fewer tickets snatched up by scalpers, it places a high-stakes burden on ticket sellers, especially smaller platforms, where a single security failure or slow fix could lead to bankruptcy-level fines.

The Real-World Impact

For the fan trying to get tickets to a sold-out show, this bill is a welcome shift toward fairness and security. It means the platforms they use should be safer and less susceptible to the automated attacks that lock out real people. For the small business owner running a regional ticketing platform, however, this means significant new compliance costs and the risk of massive penalties if their definition of "reasonable safeguards" doesn't align with the FTC's interpretation. Because terms like "reasonable safeguards" are somewhat vague, the actual impact will depend heavily on the guidance the FTC issues over the next year. Ultimately, this bill forces the ticketing industry to invest heavily in modern cybersecurity, treating ticket access as a consumer right worth protecting with serious financial muscle.