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Enacted laws

Consumer Protection · SB 318

Ticket Bot Prevention Act

Prohibition on Bots Purchasing Tickets Act

Effective soon
Public Act
PA 104-0474
Effective
January 1, 2027
Enforced by
Illinois Attorney General
Verified

Prohibits AI-powered bots and automated tools from buying event tickets in excess of posted limits, and requires venues and ticket issuers to disclose how many tickets they withhold from public sale.

The first of the five bills sent to the Governor at spring adjournment to actually be signed. The Ticket Bot Prevention Act is a consumer-protection statute with an AI edge: it targets the automated purchasing tools that buy up inventory in excess of posted limits, and pairs the prohibition with a transparency requirement — venues and issuers must disclose how many tickets they hold back from public sale.

For a ticketing operator the compliance work is concrete and dated: enforce purchase limits against bots and duplicate accounts, and surface the withheld- ticket count at each on-sale, before the January 1, 2027 effective date. Enforcement runs through the Attorney General, with civil penalties of up to $2,000 per offense.

What it requires

  • Do not use bots, multiple accounts, or multiple email addresses to buy tickets in excess of a posted purchase limit.
  • Disclose the number of tickets withheld from public sale whenever tickets for an event are offered.

Who is covered

Venue operators, ticket issuers, and resellers offering event tickets to Illinois consumers online — and anyone operating automated purchasing tools against those sales.

What the exposure is

Up to $2,000 civil penalty per offense

Up to $2,000 per offense, enforced by the Illinois Attorney General as a consumer-protection violation.

Key dates

  • June 25, 2026 Signed by Gov. Pritzker as PA 104-0474
  • January 1, 2027 Takes effect

If this applies to you

  • Configure ticketing systems to enforce posted purchase limits against bots and duplicate accounts or email addresses.
  • Publish the count of tickets withheld from public sale at each on-sale.
  • Review reseller and venue agreements for compliance ahead of the January 1, 2027 effective date.

Related

Primary sources 2

  1. Bill status SB 318 — Bill Status & Full Action History Illinois General Assembly · ilga.gov · retrieved
  2. Public Act Public Act 104-0474 — Full Text (PDF) Illinois General Assembly · ilga.gov · retrieved

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