Cheaper Michigan Events After Governor Whitmer Signs Taylor Swift Bill Into Law

Over the last couple of years, people have been complaining about how hard it is to purchase some things online. A lot of those items are special release items which only provide so many units to be purchased. For the most part, these are items like shoes, handbags, clothing items, and even event tickets.

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It has become increasingly more difficult to get your hands on these items because there are millions of bots surfing the site for an opportunity. This unfair for many reasons as humans can't work as fast as bots and one person can set up several bots to ensure they win or even win multiple drawings.

Concerts, sports contests, and other events have actually been one of the biggest problems when it comes to bots. Governor Whitmer and the rest of the state government realized how big of an issue this was when Michigan residents were struggling to purchase tickets to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.

Have You Ever Lost Out On An Online Raffle Because Of Bots?

Several Michigan residents were unable to attend the concert because the tickets were purchased by bots and then placed on resale applications for triple the price if not more, pricing many fans out of the experience. In response, House Representatives and Senators put together bills to help Michigan residents have more success purchasing online tickets.

CBS Detroit via MSN reports:

The bill package, which includes House Bills 4262 and 4263, authorizes the Michigan attorney general to pursue action against anyone using ticket bots. The individual would be subject to a penalty of up to $5,000 per ticket that was fraudulently claimed.  Additionally, Senate Bill 158 would create the Event Online Ticket Sales Act to regulate online ticket sales for entertainment events to prevent bots from taking over the purchases. Whitmer's office says the bills closely mirror the federal Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, which was signed into law in 2016. The BOTS Act is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission.

Once these bills have been signed and passed into law, Michigan residents should have much more success purchasing these tickets online. Anyone who is found guilty of using bots could face penalties including hefty fines.