Ticket sales should be laissez-faire

The Texas Tribune reports that a bill in the Texas legislature would restrict the sale of non-transferable tickets: "A bill before state legislators today aims to ensure fans who buy tickets can resell them or give them away without interference from venues or ticket brokers."

This is one small example of what government unfortunately does so much of: it steps in between two parties and says "No! You can't make that kind of deal! We won't let you!"

If a ticket seller wants to sell non-transferable tickets, the seller has every right to do so. And if a ticket buyer can't stand non-transferable tickets, the buyer has every right not to buy them.

The pro-government-interference group Fan Freedom says, "When we buy tickets we own them, and it’s our right to choose if we use them, give them to someone else or resell them." But that's just wrong. When you agree on a deal with a ticket seller, that's the deal. If you don't like the terms of the deal, don't buy the ticket.

If Fan Freedom wants to organize a boycott, that's fine. But they should not try to use the government to force businesses to comply with their demands.

Whether it's minimum wages, insurance restrictions, or ticket re-sales, the government needs to stop dictating how buyers and sellers can interact.