London Hamilton Will Try Paperless Tickets to Thwart Scalpers

The experiment is set to begin January 16.

U.K. mega-producer Cameron Mackintosh will experiment using paperless tickets for his upcoming London production of the musical Hamilton in an attempt to thwart scalpers.

According to a report in The Daily Mail, the ticketing experiment will begin January 16 when 110,000 who pre-registered on a priority list will be issued electronic tickets. The goal is to block out scalpers (called “touts” in London) who buy up premium seats, then offer them for re-sale at massively inflated prices.

In the U.S., Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda has publicly supported federal legislation to criminalize operators of computerized scalping programs called “ticket bots.”

Nick Allott, managing director of Cameron Mackintosh Limited, explained that buyers won’t get physical tickets until they arrive at the theatre.

“Once the seat has been purchased, people will get an email with instructions. They’ll know where they are sitting, and everything is confirmed,” Allott told the paper, saying that he expects the system will prevent half of ticket scalping.

Regular tickets go on sale to the general public January 30.

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