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Ticket bots, ‘predatory’ loans are in Pritzker’s crosshairs

Ticket bots, ‘predatory’ loans are in Pritzker’s crosshairs

Taylor Swift Photo: Shutterstock


(CAPITOL CITY NOW) – More transparency! Fewer bots!

Those are two features of a package of consumer-minded legislation Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law. He said the mission is to make life more affordable for Illinoisans.

“We’re talking about hidden fees, about artificial scarcity, predatory lending products, and ticket schemes that make it harder and more expensive for families to just enjoy a night out,” said the governor.

The legislation signed in Chicago Thursday will ban junk fees, outlaw ticket resellers from selling tickets they do not actually have, stop bots from buying tickets, and regulate “buy now, pay later” lenders.

Transparency “helps build trust. Going after bots means more real fans have a chance to buy tickets instead of competing with automated software,” said Riot Fest co-founder Michael Petryshyn, who hosted Thursday’s event. “Stopping people from selling tickets they don’t actually have is just common sense.”

If you are paying an artificially inflated price for a concert ticket, said State Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford), you can’t just … “shake it off.”

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