Economic modelling predicts £183m hit from ticket resale cap

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has initiated a significant lawsuit against a Maryland-based ticket brokerage accused of manipulating the ticket sales market for various high-demand artists, including Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen. The FTC's allegations suggest that the company engaged in practices detrimental to consumers by buying and reselling thousands of concert tickets through unfair means. This action underscores the ongoing scrutiny of ticket scalping and its impact on fair access for fans. As the landscape of live events continues to evolve, this lawsuit may lead to pivotal changes in ticketing practices and regulations.

⚖️Licensing Reform 2025 Update – Part One⚖️ 🍻 A New Era for Hospitality in England & Wales 🍻 The Labour Government, under Chancellor Rachel Reeves, has announced a sweeping set of reforms aimed at modernising alcohol licensing and revitalising high streets across England and Wales. These proposals mark a significant shift in how premises licence holders operate, with a strong emphasis on cutting red tape, supporting small businesses, and breathing new life into local communities. 🔍 What’s Changing? At the heart of the reform is the creation of a National Licensing Policy Framework, designed to simplify and speed up the licensing process for hospitality venues.  Key features include: ·        Streamlined Licensing for Outdoor Hospitality Permanent permissions for al fresco dining, pavement pints, and street parties—removing the seasonal limitations and bureaucratic hurdles that have long frustrated operators. ·        Hospitality Zones Designated areas where late-night venues, outdoor seating, and community events will be actively encouraged. These zones will be selected by local councils and mayors in collaboration with businesses and residents. ·        Conversion of Vacant Retail Units Local authorities will have enhanced powers to auction off long-vacant commercial properties, making it easier and more affordable to convert them into pubs, bars, or music venues. ·        Venue Protection from Noise Complaints Developers will be legally required to soundproof new residential buildings near existing nightlife venues—helping to safeguard established businesses from closure due to noise disputes. Why are the Govt doing this? To Cut Licensing Complexity: The reforms aim to embed transparency, consistency, and proportionality into the licensing system, replacing the patchwork of overlapping policies that currently slow down applications. 🏛️ How Will These Reforms Become Law? The proposed changes will be introduced through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which is currently being drafted and is expected to be presented to Parliament in the coming months. Once passed, the reforms will be phased in, with guidance issued to local authorities and licence holders. 📅 So When Will It All Happen? Estimated Timeline Q3 2025: Draft legislation and stakeholder consultations Q4 2025 – Q1 2026: Parliamentary process and approval Q2–Q3 2026: Rollout of new licensing framework and hospitality zones 💬 What This Means for You… These reforms represent a golden opportunity for licence holders to expand their offerings, reduce administrative burdens, and tap into new revenue streams.  Whether you're looking to add outdoor seating, extend operating hours, or open a new venue, the future is looking brighter—and more flexible – and The Licensing Guys ™ will always be on hand to advise and assist.

As someone who’s experienced the frustration of chasing venues just to get a price, I know how exhausting it can be. The endless DMs, phone calls, and back-and-forth that often lead to more confusion than clarity. It’s time-consuming and, honestly, it's a barrier that costs both time and clients. I’ve realized that clear and upfront pricing isn’t just a convenience it’s essential. It accelerates bookings, builds trust, and makes the entire process smoother. Hidden pricing only leads to uncertainty and lost opportunities. For me, #transparency is the key to better, faster decisions, and it’s something I wish every venue could adopt.

Experts are raising concerns about potential illegal practices on StubHub, following the listing of over 300 tickets for a Lewis Capaldi concert by TG Cyprus Event Services Ltd (TGCES) at inflated prices. Reg Walker, a ticketing expert, stated: "These listings give very clear reason to suspect industrial-scale criminality." The listings, which included tickets priced up to £248, have prompted scrutiny from UK ministers considering a ban on for-profit ticket resale. Consumer group Which? is urging for a price cap and better verification of ticket ownership on resale platforms. Ticketmaster, which is one of the primary ticket agents for Capaldi's tour, said it has capped resale prices at face value since 2018 and supports plans for an industry-wide cap. Ticketmaster is being probed by the Competition and Markets Authority over the sale of Oasis tickets last year.

"Jersey sales of Player X covers the entire transfer fee" - often stated by mainstream media, but later debunked. But... how do smaller clubs adapt to sudden booms in international interest when signing a popular player?   Messi → Inter Miami. Not much need to be said here. The amount of Inter Miami shirts seen on beaches all over the world tells its own story.   Cho Gue-sung (the South-Korean icon) → FC Midtjylland (Denmark).   Mohamed Salah → Liverpool. Bringing a huge wave of Egyptian and Middle Eastern fans. Liverpool tapped into it with Arabic-language social media and regional sponsors.   A big signing can spark massive interest – sometimes from an entirely new corner of the world. International clubs are used to this, but with today’s transfer market moving so fast, a player can be signed and announced within hours… so how do smaller clubs cope with all this?   After speaking to multiple clubs that have tried this, my idea would be to at least: 💻 Make sure your website and e-commerce can handle a surge in traffic. Be ready for the entire population of a new country wanting to check you out. 🌐 Translate key pages into the player’s home language (like FC Midtjylland who offered their website in Danish, English, and suddenly Korean!). 🛒 Localise your online shop for that region. Please (!) make sure shipping is possible and somewhat accessible. I once tried buying a kit from a spanish club - shipping costs were higher than the cost of the shirt… 📱 Create targeted social content around the player. What's better than getting all the behind-the-scenes from a new signing? 👨💻 Big ask, but generally allow for some slack in the marketing department to allow for sudden changes without putting every other project on hold. ✉️ Segment and personalise fan communication to new audiences.   Those first days and weeks after an announcement are golden! What else would you think a club needs to consider upon signing a popular player from a new region? And which other examples of these kinds of transfers comes to mind?

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission sued ticket reseller Key Investment Group for evading purchasing limits to buy up thousands of tickets to live events including Taylor Swift's Eras tour and resell them at a markup, according to a complaint filed in Maryland federal court on Aug. 18. The Baltimore, Maryland-based company, which operates ticket resale sites including TotalTickets.com, used thousands of Ticketmaster accounts, including fake or purchased accounts, the FTC said. Ticketmaster faced intense criticism after its botched 2022 sale of tickets to Swift’s much-hyped Eras tour, when billions of requests from Swift fans, bots and ticket resellers overwhelmed its website and the company canceled a planned ticket sale to the general public. Jody Godoy has more: https://reut.rs/4lBftn3

Las Vegas locals casinos are driving growth for Golden Entertainment, with EBITDA up over 9% and margins improving to 46%—despite broader tourism declines on the Strip. Strategic focus on local markets is proving resilient amid industry headwinds. Discover more at The Wall Slots Journal, your source for U.S. gambling news.

Is the UK becoming a ‘night-time desert’? Quite a sobering stat that nearly 1 in 4 late-night venues has closed since 2020. More than most, this sub-sector is under pressure. Consumer demands and expectations are shifting at lightening speed and taxation and policy is against you. Whilst it's far from easy, the operators who win (or survive) will be those who stay relevant and ahead of the market: - Crafting experiences that align with today’s values - Use data and storytelling to drive loyalty - Position venues as multi-functional Marketing in this sector isn't about filling seats, but about creating memories. https://lnkd.in/e3gqdQkt

Total Ticketing's Martin Haigh tells IQ what Western markets can learn from Japan's structured approach to secondary ticketing: https://lnkd.in/gk4y4QSh #ticketing #livemusic #musicbusiness

Where have all the late-night venues gone? One in four UK late-night venues have closed since 2020, according to data from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA). The story reported in The Guardian this week, uncovers that nearly 800 late-night businesses have been forced to close over the past five years, which represents a 26.4% contraction in the late-night sector overall, compared with just a 14.2% shrink across the wider hospitality sector.  Closures have accelerated in the last year, with an average of three venues shutting each week over the past three months. This leaves only 2,424 late-night venues operating across the UK. This trend threatens the wider cultural sector, the growth of new artists and key community spaces.  So, what can be done to help? The NTIA which represents 10,000 businesses and two thirds of the UK’s nightclubs, is calling for the government to cut VAT, reverse the increase in employer’s national insurance contributions, and maintain business rates relief for the night-time sector. Chief Executive of the NTIA warns that if reforms don’t happen, the damage to the nighttime economy will be irreversible.  Read our story of the week here: https://lnkd.in/ebM4ZYbR #NightLife #StoryOfTheWeek #TheGuardian