Buffalo Sabres require ticket resellers to purchase license

The Sabres have notified season ticket holders who resell many of their game tickets on the secondary market that they’ll need to purchase a state-required $5,000 reseller license before they can renew their membership.

In an email to these fans, the team said it has changed its season ticket membership terms and conditions, “particularly in light of the recent ticket reseller laws in New York State.” The state passed ticket purchasing protection legislation in 2022.

A team spokesperson said less than 1% of the 2023-24 season ticket member base received this communication – a majority of the accounts being from out of state.

While the letters went out only to season ticket holders who the team, through its records and research, identified as selling “the majority of their tickets/events since 2022” at KeyBank Center, some of these fans have said that they’ve been unfairly targeted.

Many teams have been aiming – and some have taken steps – to reduce the number of ticket brokers and others purchasing season tickets primarily to sell them on the secondary market.

According to the team’s updated terms and conditions, the Sabres can’t stop season ticket members from reselling tickets but reserve the right to require them to provide proof of a properly issued reseller license by the state.

New York does not forbid the resale of tickets, nor does it allow for the elimination of brokers, but state officials are now making an effort to do more to protect the consumers making these purchases.

“These changes (in law) have introduced certain requirements…