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Ticketmaster’s ‘TradeDesk’ scalper tool explained

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Days after two senior U.S. senators asked the world’s biggest entertainment monopoly to answer pointed questions about its role in the mass scalping of tickets — in response to a Toronto Star/CBC investigation — Ticketmaster’s president has provided the first public mea culpa to the “explosive” revelations.

“The allegations of the harms to consumers made in this piece are serious and deserve immediate attention,” wrote senators Jerry Moran and Richard Blumenthal in a letter to the CEO of Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, on Friday. “Given our ongoing interest in protecting consumers from unfair and deceptive practices, we seek clarification on the use of this program.”

In an interview with Billboard magazine published Monday, Ticketmaster president Jared Smith conceded his company isn’t effectively policing its TradeDesk platform.
In an interview with Billboard magazine published Monday, Ticketmaster president Jared Smith conceded his company isn’t effectively policing its TradeDesk platform.  (Ticketmaster)

In an interview with Billboard magazine published Monday, Ticketmaster boss Jared Smith conceded his company isn’t effectively policing its TradeDesk platform, where scalpers with multiple Ticketmaster accounts can upload and resell industrial-scale inventories of seats to major sports and concert events — in breach of the company’s own rules.

“There’s clearly some things that we’re not doing well enough,” said Smith.

Ticketmaster has never granted the Star and CBC an on-the-record interview despite multiple requests. But company executives have embarked on a public relations offensive to quell widespread consumer anger as the story spreads into the U.S. media.

In response to the congressmen’s questions, the Star has gathered company records and public comments — along with the investigation’s hidden camera findings — to detail what we know so far.

Here are the senators’ four questions:

1. Describe the event ticket-purchasing limits that Ticketmaster currently employs for sales on its primary ticket sales platform. Additionally, how does the company identify computer programs used to circumvent these purchasing limits?

Ticketmaster’s general terms of use prohibit customers from buying “a number of tickets for an event that exceeds the stated limit for that event.” That limit, posted when tickets go on sale, is typically six or eight seats per buyer.

“If we identify breaches of these limits … we reserve the right to cancel any such orders … Use of automated means to purchase tickets is strictly prohibited,” the rules state.

On Monday, Smith, who is Ticketmaster’s president of North American operations, said: “We spend a ton of money and a ton of time doing things like building software that prevents bots from buying tickets … We have gotten pretty effective at blocking people from buying lots of tickets, and we take it seriously.”

In the past, Ticketmaster has said it blocked more than five billion purchase attempts by bots in 2016. In short, Ticketmaster says it is rigorous about limiting box office sales to ensure fans get a fair shot at seeing the sports teams and artists they love.

2. Do Ticketmaster’s ticket-purchasing limits and associated detection practices apply to users of its online program, TradeDesk? If not, please explain.

“We probably don’t do enough to look into TradeDesk,” Smith said. “The reality is, yeah, (TradeDesk users) could have more than their ticket limit.”

Toronto Star reporter Robert Cribb went undercover at a ticket scalper convention in Las Vegas in July.
Toronto Star reporter Robert Cribb went undercover at a ticket scalper convention in Las Vegas in July.  (CBC)

When undercover reporters from the Star and CBC asked TradeDesk sales representatives if they could use multiple Ticketmaster accounts — a violation of Ticketmaster’s rules — they were told TradeDesk does not monitor or care how their users obtain their tickets.

“We don’t spend any time looking at your Ticketmaster.com account. I don’t care what you buy. It doesn’t matter to me,” said one TradeDesk employee at the Ticket Summit 2018 scalper conference in Las Vegas. “I have a gentleman who’s got over 200 Ticketmaster.com accounts right into the point of sale, who syncs his tickets in every day.”

Smith distanced the company from statements made by two of his TradeDesk salespeople on separate occasions.

“We absolutely do not turn a blind eye to the misuse of our products,” he said. “We absolutely don’t condone what he said. What he said doesn’t represent our policies. It doesn’t represent … who we are.”

But he also acknowledged the company needs to be more vigilant about ensuring TradeDesk clients aren’t gaming the system.

Scalpers who use multiple Ticketmaster accounts — each with a different name and credit card number — can circumvent ticket purchasing limits.

“Do some individuals have too many accounts? That’s where we need to make sure that we’re diligent and regularly checking on the backside … to ensure that 100 per cent of those tickets are sourced cleanly and within our policy.”

Smith did not explain why Ticketmaster built into its TradeDesk tool a way to circumvent its own rules — a feature that allows resellers to synchronize multiple Ticketmaster accounts for quick and efficient resale in the secondary marketplace.

“If you’ve got 100 Ticketmaster.com accounts and you’re out there buying inventory, the system is automatically going to sync them and move them over to create the (resale) listing,” said the TradeDesk sales executive in Las Vegas. “It’s pushing it over for you … That’s the way we’re going. That’s what we’re investing our money in.”

3. What are the specific rules and processes of compliance for participating TradeDesk users as it relates to ticket purchasing limits and other relevant consumer protection priorities? Please share any documents and guidance materials that are provided to TradeDesk users.

It appears that Ticketmaster’s rules don’t apply to those using TradeDesk, the Star/CBC investigation found.

“We’ve spent millions of dollars on this tool, so the last thing we’d want to do is, you know, get brokers caught up to where they can’t sell inventory with us,” a different TradeDesk staffer told Star and CBC reporters who signed up as scalpers for a TradeDesk demonstration last March.

In Las Vegas, undercover reporters asked a sales executive how many TradeDesk users have multiple Ticketmaster accounts.

Robert Cribb explains why and how reporters get hidden camera footage.

“I’d say pretty damn near every one of them. I can’t think of any of my clients that aren’t using multiple (accounts),” the sales representative said. “I don’t care what you buy. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m more concentrating on, are you getting good sell-through.”

“The policing of bots, going after those types of things, falls completely on the primary side. We have no input on it, no involvement with it …” he said.

In the Billboard interview, Smith vowed to review all TradeDesk accounts.

“Can we do more? Yes, we can do more. We’re going to look at all of those accounts and make sure that we’ve got tighter practices in place to identify suspicious activity.”

4. What role does Ticketmaster’s professional reseller handbook play in deterring its resellers from engaging in illegal ticket purchasing activities?

A copy of the handbook, obtained by the Star and CBC, does not contain the terms “ticket limit” or “purchase limit.”

There is no mention of any penalties for breaking ticket buying limits, nor is it even clear that the general terms and conditions for Ticketmaster.com apply to TradeDesk.

In the discipline section, the only transgressions mentioned are inaccurate description of a seat, failure to deliver a ticket and customer complaints.

In addition, Ticketmaster rewards mass sales with discounts on its commission for scalpers who reach $500,000 and $1 million in sales.

Robert Cribb is a Toronto-based investigative reporter. Follow him on Twitter: @thecribby

Marco Chown Oved is a Toronto-based investigative reporter. Follow him on Twitter: @marcooved

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Anglais

Nostalgia and much more with Starburst XXXtreme

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Get a taste of adventure with Starburst XXXtreme based on the legendary NetEnt Game. The nostalgic themes are sure to capture fans of the classic version as they get treated to higher intensity, better visuals, and features. The most significant element of the game is its volatility. Patience will not be an essential virtue considering the insane gameplay, and there is a lot of win potential involved. It retains the original makeup of the previous game while adding a healthy dose of adrenaline. 

Starburst Visuals and Symbols

The game is definitely more conspicuous than before. The setting happens over a 5-reel, 3-row game grid with nine fixed win lines, which function if a succession from the left to the right reel is present. Only those players that that attain the highest win per bet line are paid. From a visual standpoint, the Starburst XXXtreme slots illustrates lightning effects behind the reels, which is not surprising as it is inherited from the original version. Available themes include Classic, Jewels, and Space. The game is also available in both desktop and mobile versions, which is advantageous for players considering the global pandemic. According to Techguide, American gamers are increasingly having more engaging gaming experiences to socialize to fill the gap of in-person interaction. Starburst XXXtreme allows them to fill the social void at a time when there is so much time to be had indoors. 

Starburst XXXTreme Features

Players get to alternate on three features which are Starburst Wilds, XXXtreme Spins, and Random Wilds. The first appears on reels 2,3, or 4. When these land, they expand to cover all positions while also calculating the wins. They are also locked for a respin. If a new one hits, it also becomes locked while awarding another respin. Starburst XXXtreme offers a choice between two scenarios for a higher stake. In one scenario with a ten times stake, the Starburst Wild is set on random on reels 2,3, or 4, and a multiplier starts the respin. The second scenario, which has a 95 times stake, starts with two guaranteed starburst wilds on reels 2,3, or 4. it also plays out using respin game sequence and features. The game also increases the potential with the Random Wilds feature to add Starburst Wilds to a vacant reel at the end of a spin. Every Starburst Wild gives a random multiplier with potential wins of x2, x3, x5, x10, x25, x50, x100, or even x150.

The new feature is sure to be a big hit with the gaming market as online gambling has shown significant growth during the lockdown. AdAge indicates the current casino customer base is an estimated one in five Americans, so Starburst XXXtreme’s additional features will achieve considerable popularity. 

What We Think About The Game

The gambling market has continued to diversify post-pandemic, so it is one of the most opportune times to release an online casino-based game. Thankfully Starburst XXXtreme features eye-catching visuals, including the jewels and space themes. These attract audience participation and make the gameplay inviting. The game also has a nostalgic edge. The previous NetEnt iteration featured similar visuals and gameplay, so the audience has some familiarity with it. The producers have revamped this version by tweaking the features to improve the volatility and engagement. 

That is characterized by the potential win cap of 200,000 times the bet. Starburst XXXtreme does not just give betting alternatives for players that want to go big. The increase of multipliers also provides a great experience. If the respins in the previous version were great, knowing that multipliers can go hundreds of times overtakes the game to a new level. 

Players should get excited about this offering. All of the features can be triggered within a single spin. Whether one plays the standard game or takes the XXXtreme spin route, it is possible to activate all of the features. Of course, the potential 200,000 times potential is a huge carrot. However, the bet size is probably going to be restricted and vary depending on the casino. It is also worth pointing out that a malfunction during the gameplay will void all of the payouts and progress. Overall, the game itself has been designed to provide a capped win of 200,000 times the original bet. 

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Anglais

‘We’re back’: Montreal festival promoters happy to return but looking to next year

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In downtown Montreal, it’s festival season.

In the city’s entertainment district, a musical act was conducting a sound check on stage Friday evening — the second day of the French-language version of the renowned Just For Laughs comedy festival. Tickets for many of the festival’s free outdoor shows — limited by COVID-19 regulations — were sold out.

Two blocks away, more than 100 people were watching an acoustic performance by the Isaac Neto Trio — part of the last weekend of the Festival International Nuits d’Afrique, a celebration of music from the African continent and the African diaspora.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing to limit capacity, festival organizers say they’re glad to be back but looking forward to next year when they hope border restrictions and capacity limits won’t affect their plans.

Charles Décarie, Just For Laughs’ CEO and president, said this is a “transition year.”

“Even though we have major constraints from the public health group in Montreal, we’ve managed to design a festival that can navigate through those constraints,” Décarie said.

The French-language Juste pour rire festival began on July 15 and is followed by the English-language festival until July 31.

When planning began in February and March, Décarie said, organizers came up with a variety of scenarios for different crowd sizes, ranging from no spectators to 50 per cent of usual capacity.

“You’ve got to build scenarios,” he said. “You do have to plan a little bit more than usual because you have to have alternatives.”

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MELS new major movie studio to be built in Montreal

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MONTREAL — MELS Studios will build a new film studio in Montreal, filling some of the gap in supply to meet the demand of Hollywood productions.

MELS president Martin Carrier said on Friday that MELS 4 studio construction will begin « as soon as possible », either in the fall or winter of next year. The studio could host productions as early as spring 2023.

The total investment for the project is $76 million, with the Quebec government contributing a $25 million loan. The project will create 110 jobs, according to the company.

The TVA Group subsidiary’s project will enable it to stand out « even more » internationally, according to Quebecor president and CEO Pierre Karl Péladeau. In the past, MELS Studios has hosted several major productions, including chapters of the X-Men franchise. The next Transformers movie is shooting this summer in Montreal.

Péladeau insisted that local cultural productions would also benefit from the new facility, adding that the studio ensures foreign revenues and to showcase talent and maintain an industry of Quebec producers.

STUDIO SHORTAGE

The film industry is cramped in Montreal.

According to a report published last May by the Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision du Québec (BCTQ), there is a shortage of nearly 400,000 square feet of studio space.

With the addition of MELS 4, which will be 160,000 square feet, the company is filling part of the gap.

Carrier admitted that he has had to turn down contracts because of the lack of space, representing missed opportunities of « tens of millions of dollars, not only for MELS, but also for the Quebec economy. »

« Montreal’s expertise is in high demand, » said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who was present at the announcement.

She said she received great testimonials from « Netflix, Disney, HBO and company » during an economic mission to Los Angeles in 2019.

« What stands out is that they love Montreal because of its expertise, knowledge and beauty. We need more space, like MELS 4, » she said.

There is still not enough capacity in Quebec, acknowledged Minister of Finance, the Economy and Innovation Eric Girard.

« It is certain that the government is concerned about fairness and balance, so if other requests come in, we will study them with the same seriousness as we have studied this one, » he said.

Grandé Studios is the second-largest player in the industry. Last May, the company said it had expansion plans that should begin in 2022. Investissement Québec and Bell are minority shareholders in the company.

For its part, MELS will have 400,000 square feet of production space once MELS 4 is completed. The company employs 450 people in Quebec and offers a range of services including studio and equipment rentals, image and sound postproduction, visual effects and a virtual production platform.

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