Rep. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) has introduced legislation to prevent ticket sellers from creating the illusion of sold-out events to drive up prices, a practice she says has left consumers paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars more for concerts, sporting events, and other live entertainment.
The Passaic County Democrat’s bill, dubbed the Halting Organizers and Live-Event Distributors from Boosting Artificial Capacity with Known Seating Act, or HOLDBACKS Act, would require primary ticket sellers to disclose in advance how many tickets will be available to the general public before sales begin. It would also prohibit sellers from intentionally withholding tickets or misleading consumers about seat availability to create artificial scarcity.
“As Americans know all too well, buying tickets has become an expensive and frustrating experience,” Pou stated. “Consumers deserve honesty, not marketplace manipulation or ripoff games.”
Pou said fans often endure long online queues only to watch tickets seemingly disappear within minutes, prompting many to purchase higher-priced seats or turn to secondary marketplaces where resale prices can soar. Later, additional tickets frequently become available, altering the market after consumers have already paid inflated prices, she maintains.
The legislation comes in the wake of widespread complaints about ticket sales for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in which additional blocks of seats were released after matches initially appeared sold out.
“The opaque manner in which FIFA released tickets for the World Cup matches provided great frustration for soccer fans,” Pou said, noting that new seats for the championship match were released only recently.
The HOLDBACKS Act would also require sellers to disclose the full advertised ticket price before sales begin. Pou acknowledged that the measure addresses only one aspect of broader problems within the ticketing industry and urged the Senate to approve the bipartisan TICKET Act, which would require all-in pricing and prohibit speculative ticket sales.
Pou has been a leading congressional voice on FIFA ticketing issues. In May, she and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) launched a congressional investigation into FIFA’s ticket sales practices. The attorneys general of New Jersey, New York, and Texas later opened their own investigations.