Underground traders seek to procure tickets using automated software
In the ticketing industry, where ticket scalping or the private resale of tickets at inflated prices is a common issue, Eventim, the world's second-largest ticket provider, has taken significant steps to prevent abuse and fraud on unauthorized secondary markets.
As a stock-listed company, Eventim operates a platform called Fansale, where customers can resell tickets, but it has also expressed concerns about usury, abuse, and fraud in both authorized and unauthorized secondary markets.
To combat ticket touts, Eventim has implemented a multi-faceted strategy. The company restricts ticket quantity per buyer to enforce fairness, detects and cancels bot-related and suspicious transactions, uses personal ID/device linking to prevent multiple purchases with fake/different accounts, and emphasizes ticket security and confidentiality to avoid fraud.
For instance, during the 2025 Ed Sheeran tour ticket sales, Eventim enforces a maximum of 6 tickets per show per customer to prevent bulk buying. Transactions that appear to be bot purchases or involve duplicate accounts to exceed ticket limits are automatically cancelled. At Eventim Brasil, users must link the purchase device to their CPF (Brazilian personal tax ID), and the system does not allow reuse of the same CPF on multiple devices or multiple CPFs on one device.
Eventim's efforts to protect tickets against copying or unauthorized sharing further discourage botting or scalping. The company organizes concerts, theater performances, and sporting events, selling tickets for various events across the globe.
However, the scale of ticket scalping remains unknown. Last year, Eventim temporarily suspended the resale of Taylor Swift tickets due to a hacker attack, and all unauthorized resales were reversed. Despite these incidents, Fansale operates at cost, aiming to provide a safe and fair platform for ticket resale.
It's important to note that private resale of tickets is generally allowed in Germany, where one of Eventim's venues is the Waldbühne in Berlin. Eventim is not the only ticket provider that has faced issues with unauthorized ticket resales, highlighting the need for industry-wide solutions to combat this issue.
Ticket touts are using computer programs to obtain tickets in mass, according to observations by CTS Eventim. Speculators try to acquire tickets to resell them at high prices on unauthorized secondary markets, a practice known as "ticket scalping." Eventim has stated that too much usury, abuse, and fraud has occurred in the past on both authorized and unauthorized secondary markets.
In summary, Eventim's anti-scalping strategy involves restricting ticket quantity per buyer, detecting and cancelling bot-related and suspicious transactions, using personal ID/device linking to prevent multiple purchases with fake/different accounts, and emphasizing ticket security and confidentiality to avoid fraud. These combined measures reduce the effectiveness of automated bots and help limit secondary market abuses.
- Given the concerns about usury, abuse, and fraud in both authorized and unauthorized secondary markets, Eventim, a technology-driven company in the sports and entertainment industry, has implemented a robust cybersecurity strategy to protect tickets from scalping and ensure a fair resale process.
- As a global event organizer, Eventim not only prioritizes the security of its ticketing process but also the integration of technology in sports, ensuring a seamless and secure experience for both ticket buyers and sellers through its platform Fansale.
