World Cup fuels ticketing reform demands

As ticket scams at the World Cup come to light, there is increasing demand for a political response to address the issue.

The National Independent Venue Association and Fan Alliance, which advocate for entertainment venues and artists, submitted a joint letter to Congress on Thursday. They urged lawmakers to outlaw speculative and ghost tickets—tickets sold by resellers that they do not possess.

The letter, directed to Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, includes accounts from nearly two dozen fans who claim to have lost thousands of dollars trying to purchase World Cup tickets since the event began last week. The organizations are also encouraging fans to relay their experiences with elected officials through the Fix the Tix Fan Action Center, which was recently launched.

“Each of these incidents diminishes public trust in consumer protection against fraud,” wrote Stephen Parker, NIVA Executive Director, and Donald Cohen, Fan Alliance founder. “We urge Congress to collaborate with us to prevent future fraud and finally implement ticket resale consumer protections that will safeguard Americans and ensure affordability.”

The letter highlighted cases such as Dacy Gillespie, who bought World Cup tickets for her sons as a Christmas gift, only to find out on match day that the seller couldn’t provide them. Similarly, Skylie Shore reportedly spent over $6,000 on tickets for the Scotland-Haiti match on June 13 but was left outside the stadium due to ticket access issues.

“These instances illustrate a recurring pattern: consumer deception, speculative ticket sales, and devastated American families caused by resale ticketing companies like StubHub,” Parker and Cohen wrote.

In response, StubHub spokesperson Jack Sterne stated that the platform prohibits speculative ticket sales and attributed the ticket access difficulties to FIFA.

“We recognize that attending the World Cup involves a considerable investment of time and money, and we take our responsibility to every fan who books through our platform seriously,” Sterne said. “Many of the problems fans are encountering stem from the event organizer’s technology infrastructure, newly imposed transfer restrictions, and a new app that was launched a month ago.”

FIFA, in its statement, assured that tickets purchased through its official platforms are valid and guaranteed and that FIFA.com/tickets is the official sales channel for the tournament.

NIVA and Fan Alliance are advocating for Congress to introduce universal price-gouging limits on ticket resale, impose heavy fines on violators, establish a reporting mechanism for ticket scams, and require secondary ticketing platforms to provide data on ticket fulfillment and consumer grievances.

Other entities are also keeping an eye on dubious ticketing practices. Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway issued consumer guidance before the tournament, advising attendees to be vigilant against fraud and pledging to hold offenders accountable. Additionally, the FBI released a public service announcement in May, cautioning fans against buying tickets from websites impersonating FIFA’s.

“With the World Cup headed to Kansas City, excitement is high, but so is the risk of fraud,” Hanaway stated. “Missourians should be able to relish this rare event without fear of deception. My office will hold accountable anyone who seeks to exploit our families, and we stand ready to assist anyone who encounters suspicious activity.”