Overview
- Governor Maura Healey announced the Great Divide Act on Thursday to cap secondary-ticket prices at 110 percent of face value and to limit resale platform fees to 10 percent of the ticket price.
- The bill would ban speculative listings—tickets offered for sale before the seller actually holds them—language prompted by fans being turned away after buying fake World Cup tickets at Gillette Stadium.
- Healey’s office said it intends to include the proposal in an upcoming supplemental spending bill, which means the measure must still win approval from the Massachusetts Legislature before taking effect.
- The proposal largely mirrors a bill filed by state Senator Dylan Fernandes, draws support from singer Noah Kahan, and follows similar actions in Vermont, Maine and Washington, D.C., signaling a regional push against third-party resellers.
- The move comes against a backdrop of federal scrutiny of the live-event market, including a 2024 DOJ suit and an April 2026 jury finding of monopoly power for Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which has pushed states to test new consumer protections.