Sponsor tells House panel HB 563 would bar websites from impersonating venues in ticket resale
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Summary
At a second hearing, the bill’s sponsor told the House Technology and Innovation Committee HB 563 would prohibit third-party sellers from presenting themselves as official venues or artists and require greater disclosure; sponsor said payment processors reported a 2024 spike in online ticketing fraud.
The sponsor of House Bill 563 told the House Technology and Innovation Committee that the bill would target deceptive online ticket resale practices by prohibiting anyone other than a venue or artist from presenting themselves as an official seller.
The sponsor said HB 563 is aimed at third-party sellers that disguise themselves as venues, artists or ticket platforms, use similar names and logos, dramatically mark up prices and, in some cases, sell tickets they do not own. "When Ohioans purchase a ticket online, they should know who they are buying from, what they are paying, and that the ticket they receive is valid," the sponsor said.
Committee members pressed for details on the bill’s scope. The sponsor said the legislation is not intended to cap resale prices and instead leaves pricing to market forces while requiring honesty and transparency. On whether the bill limits price, the sponsor said, "At this time, there is nothing in there that limits a price. Personally, I want to let the marketplace make that choice." (sponsor testimony)
The sponsor described industry engagement and said payment processors have shared fraud data. According to that account, Mastercard reported reported online ticketing fraud increased by about 30% in 2024 and "declined materially in 2025," a trend Mastercard attributed in part to heightened federal enforcement and wider adoption of mobile-first and dynamic QR-code ticketing and authentication tools.
The sponsor told the committee an amendment is being prepared to align the bill with federal trade policy and include technical refinements after consultations with venues, ticketing platforms and processors such as Ticketmaster, StubHub and SeatGeek.
The committee did not take a vote; the chair concluded the second hearing and said members will review the forthcoming amendment and additional testimony when available.