Vermont venues urge lawmakers to cap ticket resale markups, consider registration under H.512

The Vermont House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development heard testimony Thursday from theater operators who urged lawmakers to cap secondary‑market markups and require reseller registration as part of bill H.512, saying current online resale practices are harming patrons and nonprofit venues across the state.

The testimony came from managers and directors at Vermont performing‑arts venues, who described automated resale operations, phantom or duplicate sales, and out‑of‑state resellers buying large blocks of tickets and listing them at steep markups. "We're talking about scalpers — people that are knowingly looking to make extreme profit margins by purchasing tickets to venues and selling them again at a high profit margin," said Eric Millett, executive director of the Paramount Theatre in Rutland.

Committee members were told why witnesses want a two‑part approach: registration so the state can identify and monitor resellers, and a cap on the margin above face value to prevent large speculative markups. "If a law is established that creates avenues for scalpers to continue this malfeasance ... we need a law that caps the margin on top of the face value of the ticket," Millett said, suggesting a cap between 0 and 10 percent as a policy goal.

Why it matters: witnesses said inflated resale prices reduce access to live arts, harm venue…