Let’s bring real reform to live events in Maine

By John Breyault, NCL VP of Telecommunication and Fraud

For music and entertainment lovers in Maine—whether you are lining up for a concert at the State Theatre or a summer show at Thompson’s Point—the thrill of a live event often begins with a headache: buying the ticket.

Hidden fees, confusing pricing, shady scalpers, and limited options to transfer or resell tickets have become the norm. Recognizing this, Maine Senate President Matthea Daughtry introduced legislation earlier this year intended to bring long-overdue fairness and transparency to Maine’s ticketing market.

Unfortunately, as the bill has moved through Augusta, powerful industry lobbyists have been hard at work reshaping it to benefit the entertainment giants—at the expense of everyday Mainers.

As a consumer advocate who has spent over 15 years fighting monopolistic behavior in the live event industry, I have seen this pattern before. Companies like Live Nation-Ticketmaster, which control vast swaths of the event ecosystem, use their influence to preserve an unfair status quo. Maine should not let them write the rules.

Price Caps May Hurt More Than Help

A major element of the bill—a proposed 10% cap on ticket resale prices—could backfire. While well-intentioned, resale caps often drive fans toward risky, unregulated markets such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or international resale websites.

The data backs this up. A recent U.K. study found that countries with capped resale prices, like Ireland and Australia, see ticket fraud rates nearly four times higher than in the U.K., where resale is unrestricted. If Maine pursues a cap, it must also fund enforcement. Otherwise, fans are on their own.

Transparency Should Help Fans, Not Confuse Them

Another of the bill’s central reforms is transparency in ticket pricing—an idea that is overdue. It aims to eliminate “junk fees” that often inflate ticket costs by 27% or more, usually without warning until the final screen. Fans deserve to know the total price they will pay upfront, and this part of the bill has widespread support.

But the current draft goes a step too far: it mandates that every individual fee be broken out and listed next to the total price. This may sound like transparency, but in reality, it creates more confusion. Most people do not care how the ticket price is sliced up—they care what it costs to get in the door.

Worse, there is no standardized way sellers itemize fees. That means consumers will struggle to compare offers across platforms, undermining competition and informed choice. It is also inconsistent with new federal rules that promote simple, upfront pricing.

So why insist on a detailed fee breakdown? Because it helps venues and promoters in their negotiations with ticketing companies—not because it improves the fan experience.

Refund Rules Shouldn’t Be One-Sided

Finally, the bill also creates a refund gap. If an event is canceled, it only requires ticket resellers to refund consumers—not original sellers like Ticketmaster or venue box offices. That is not just unfair—it is outrageous.

Under this proposal, an event organizer could postpone a show and keep your money until the event is rescheduled. Mainers should not be forced to give interest-free loans to billion-dollar corporations just because a concert did not happen.

Let’s Get This Right

The arts and music scene is a treasured part of life in Maine. Whether you are seeing a nationally touring act or a local band on the rise, fans deserve a fair ticketing system that puts their needs first—not those of the entertainment industry’s biggest players.

Senator Daughtry’s bill began with the right goals. But as currently written, it risks making things worse. With a few smart changes, the Maine Legislature can deliver true reform—ensuring transparency, fairness, and consumer protection in a market that desperately needs it.

Let’s finish the job—and put fans first.