Ticketmaster Attempts to Block Olivia Rodrigo Scalpers With 72-Hour Rule

variety.com:

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Amid the expected chaos of the on-sale for Olivia Rodrigo’s “Guts” tour is an unusual caveat: In an attempt to crack down on scalpers, purchased tickets will only be issued 72 hours before the concert takes place, regardless of when they were purchased — and they will only be available electronically.

In a statement, Ticketmaster told Good Morning America: “Delivery delays are commonly used by artists to allow for a thorough review of the sale and to ensure all ticket purchasers have adhered to ticket limits and terms.” The decision was taken by the tour’s operators as “as an added level of protection.” While the 72-hour rule seems new to many people, a source says has been used in the past for Ed Sheeran, Jack Harlow and Doja Cat tours, among others.

However, it is unclear how this move will solve the scalping problem, as secondary sites often sell “speculative” tickets (which Live Nation has been attempting to combat with the FAIR Ticketing Act), not to mention it could result in a chaotic stampede on the secondary market once the three-day limit expires.

Although an additional 20 dates were added to the tour, all available dates have already sold out. The Ticketmaster FAQ page does not say anything about a price ceiling on reselling tickets: “How can I sell my tickets? “If something comes up and you can’t make it to the show, don’t let your Olivia Rodrigo tickets go to waste – sell them to another fan on Ticketmaster.