OLYMPIA — The Washington House has unanimously passed a bill to outlaw ticket bots — computer software that beats humans trying to buy seats online for concerts and sporting events.
House Bill 1091 passed the chamber Monday and now heads to the Senate for consideration. The measure, requested by Attorney General Bob Ferguson, makes it a violation of the state Consumer Protection Act.
Scalpers use the program to buy up tickets that they resale at higher prices. Ferguson has said that Ticketmaster reports bots are often used to buy more than 60 percent of the most desirable tickets.
Thirteen states, including Oregon, have already banned ticket bots.
