President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order on Monday aimed at combating what he called “egregious” and “unfair” practices in the live concert and entertainment ticketing industry, marking a significant push to rein in ticket scalping, hidden fees, and monopolistic behavior.
Titled “Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market,” the order directs multiple federal agencies to take action against practices that drive up prices for American consumers and artists while enriching middlemen and ticket resellers.
“America’s live concert and entertainment industry is the envy of the world,” the order states, “but it has become blighted by unscrupulous middlemen who sit at the intersection between artists and fans and impose egregious fees while providing minimal value.”
At the heart of the executive order is a push for greater enforcement of the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, which bans the use of bots to buy up tickets for the purpose of resale. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is directed to enforce the law more aggressively, collaborate with state officials, and propose new regulations to ensure price transparency.
“Fans have paid as much as 70 times face value to obtain a ticket,” the order notes, adding that such markups benefit scalpers and ticketing agencies, while artists receive none of the profit.
The order also instructs the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Justice to ensure that ticket resellers are complying with tax and financial laws.
President Trump’s directive reflects a larger agenda of market fairness and consumer protection that has emerged in his second term. In recent months, the administration has also announced reviews of foreign ownership in American farmland, crackdowns on government waste, and measures to protect small businesses from overregulation.
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“The rent-seeking behaviors surrounding the ticketing industry are detrimental to consumers and capitalize on market distortions that must not be allowed to persist,” the order declares.
The order requires the Treasury Secretary, Attorney General, and FTC Chairman to issue a report within 180 days detailing the steps they’ve taken and recommending further regulations or legislation to protect concertgoers and ensure a fair market.
The directive does not create new laws but uses existing regulatory and enforcement authority. It also leaves open the possibility of future legislative proposals from the administration to bolster the initiative.
While artists and fans have long complained about scalpers and hidden ticket fees, the live entertainment industry—dominated by a few powerful ticketing firms—has often resisted government intervention. Monday’s order is expected to intensify pressure on major resale platforms.
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