Ticket scalping has become a huge problem in recent years as bots are increasingly used to buy up tickets to popular concerts and events within seconds of them going on sale. This leaves many fans frustrated and ticket prices inflated. As the market leader in ticket sales, Ticketmaster has faced a lot of criticism for not doing enough to combat bots and stop them dominating ticket sales. But is it a battle they can really win?
What are ticket bots?
Ticket bots are software programs that are designed to quickly search for and buy tickets from ticket vendors like Ticketmaster. They run automated processes that can purchase tickets much faster than any human user could. Often employing tactics like creating multiple accounts and running from different IP addresses, bots have managed to snap up huge amounts of inventory before regular users can even select seats.
Bots have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years with advanced features like optical character recognition which can identify and enter CAPTCHA codes. They’ve also benefited from the shift to mobile, allowing them to rapidly process transactions.
The people behind the bots then resell the tickets, often at hugely inflated prices. StubHub and other secondary marketplaces have thrived thanks to this steady supply of tickets. Professional ticket brokers as well as regular fans have gotten in on the act, seeing it as an easy way to make some money. But it leaves venues with unsold inventory and many angry fans priced out.
Why is Ticketmaster struggling to stop them?
Ticketmaster is in a difficult position when it comes to combating bots for several reasons:
Bot technology is becoming more advanced
As bot technology has improved, Ticketmaster’s defenses have been overwhelmed. Early anti-bot measures like CAPTCHAs, purchase limits and canceling suspect transactions are no longer proving effective against the current generation of bots.
Some bots now use machine learning and AI to mimic human purchasing patterns. They make it hard to distinguish their transactions from legitimate ones. These bots even intentionally make some mistakes and abandon some carts so as not to appear obviously automated.
It’s an arms race Ticketmaster can’t win
For every measure Ticketmaster implements, bot creators adapt to circumvent it. Ticketmaster simply doesn’t have the resources to continually overhaul its purchasing systems to stay one step ahead. Bot makers can quickly tweak their software and try new approaches.
As an example, when Ticketmaster integrated reCAPTCHA to try to block bots, one bot maker simply outsourced the solving of the CAPTCHAs to cheap human labor in developing countries. Ticketmaster just can’t win this technological arms race.
Fans don’t like restrictive measures
Understandably, Ticketmaster is hesitant to put too many restrictive measures in place around purchasing as these inconvenience genuine fans. Making the buying process more cumbersome with extra steps risks driving customers to competitors.
And some measures, like only allowing customers to buy if they have a Ticketmaster account, limits the secondary market which many fans like having access to. So Ticketmaster has to strike a tricky balance with anti-bot actions.
What measures have they tried?
Ticketmaster has attempted various means to try and reduce bot traffic on their website over the years. Some of the key methods have included:
Measure | Description |
---|---|
CAPTCHAs | Using CAPTCHAs to make users prove they are human before purchasing. |
Purchase limits | Restricting the number of tickets any one user can buy for an event. |
Cancelling orders | Cancelling purchases made by suspected bots. |
Verified Fan | Requiring fans to register ahead of time and be verified before purchasing. |
Waiting rooms | Making all users wait in an online queue before accessing tickets. |
These have had limited success though as bot technology has adapted to bypass them. CAPTCHAs can be automatically solved or outsourced. Limits are circumvented by bots registering multiple accounts. And genuine fan purchases sometimes get incorrectly flagged as bots, leading to backlash when orders are cancelled.
Verified Fan has worked better by prioritizing real users. But it is not popular with fans who don’t want to pre-register. And professional brokers have still managed to sneak some bots through the system.
Will Ticketmaster ever be able to eliminate bots?
Based on how rapidly bots have evolved and adapted so far, most experts think it unlikely that Ticketmaster will ever be able to completely eliminate them. The bot makers have too much incentive to continue refining their technology.
Ticketmaster does seem committed to keep trying though. In 2019 they acquired blockchain ticketing company Upgraded to integrate more secure mobile ticketing which can help reduce fraud and bots. They are also rolling out “verified resale” to authenticate secondhand tickets sold on their platform.
They may be able to reduce bots, but stopping them altogether will be tremendously difficult, especially given the limitations on additional measures they can take before negatively impacting genuine customers. A few bots will likely always slip through.
What more can they do to combat bots?
While bots may never be completely stopped, there are some additional actions Ticketmaster could potentially take to help reduce their impact and level the playing field:
Work with lawmakers on regulation
New laws and regulations around the use of ticket bots could dissuade some of the worst offenders. Things like requiring bot users to clearly identify listed tickets as bot-purchased, or requiring disclosure of the original face value.
There are bills in progress, like the BOTS Act, that Ticketmaster is likely already supporting. But further lobbying could help get more comprehensive legislation passed.
Improve mobile ticket delivery
Instant mobile ticket delivery makes it easier for bots to quickly process transactions. Slowing down delivery to 1-2 days may hamper bots trying to rapidly scalp tickets.
Of course this does negatively impact genuine fans too who want to receive their tickets promptly. So a balanced approach is needed.
Work with venues to increase captchas/waiting rooms
Though inconvenient, using more CAPTCHAs and waiting rooms selectively for high demand shows can reduce the speed advantage bots have. Venues working closely with Ticketmaster on this for popular events could minimize bot sales.
Again, there are downsides in terms of user experience, so this would need to be used sparingly for the highest demand events where bots are most problematic.
Make more tickets available exclusively through Verified Fan
Despite some criticisms, Verified Fan has proven one of Ticketmaster’s more successful anti-bot tools. Expanding its use for more inventory could get more tickets into genuine fans’ hands.
This hurts professional scalpers using bots the most, though again some fans resent the extra steps compared to immediately buying. So a balance is required.
Conclusion
Bots pose a formidable challenge to Ticketmaster. Their constant evolution and the limitations on measures Ticketmaster can take make it unlikely that bots will ever be completely stopped. But with a combination of technology improvements, partnerships, regulation and selective use of fan-inconveniencing tools like CAPTCHAs and waiting rooms, Ticketmaster may be able to reduce their impact and make more high-demand tickets available to regular fans once again.
It will require constant vigilance and innovation. But over time, gains can be made in the ongoing battle. When tens of thousands of fans get to attend an event instead of brokers reselling those seats, it’s a worthwhile fight for Ticketmaster to stay engaged in.