Federal regulators have filed a lawsuit against a California ticket broker accused of manipulating online ticket purchasing systems to acquire more than 18.5 million tickets to concerts and other popular events, generating at least $120.8 million in profits from resale transactions.
The Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission announced the lawsuit Thursday against REPS & Company Inc. and three executives, alleging the company repeatedly bypassed ticket purchasing limits designed to give ordinary consumers a fair opportunity to buy tickets at their original prices.
According to the complaint, REPS spent more than $1.3 billion acquiring over 18.5 million tickets since 2022. The company allegedly resold tickets at prices high enough to recover its purchasing costs and generate at least $120.8 million in profit.
One example involved Beyoncé’s 2023 Renaissance tour concert in Kansas City, Missouri. Regulators allege the company used approximately 1,300 accounts to purchase 7,624 tickets to a single performance, generating roughly $833,000 in resale profits. The complaint also describes a Pitbull concert where the company allegedly acquired nearly one-third of the venue’s available tickets.
The lawsuit names REPS CEO Ryan Pancheri, President Brian Archibald and Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Totagrande. Federal officials allege their practices violated the Better Online Ticket Sales Act, a federal law intended to prevent ticket brokers from circumventing online purchasing restrictions. The allegations have not been proven in court, and the government is seeking monetary penalties and other relief.
