The Federal Trade Commission has sued Maryland-based Key Investment Group (KIG), accusing it of violating the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act to acquire and resell Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour tickets at inflated prices.According to the lawsuit, filed on August 18, 2025, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, KIG purchased roughly 2,280 Eras Tour tickets between March and August 2023 for about $744,970, then resold them for nearly $1.96 million.FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson said in a statement that the lawsuit follows US President Donald Trump’s March 2025 executive order directing stricter enforcement of the BOTS Act."Unscrupulous middlemen who harm fans and jack up prices through anticompetitive methods will hear from us. Today’s action puts brokers on notice that the Trump-Vance FTC will police operations that unlawfully circumvent ticket sellers’ purchase limits," Ferguson said.According to a Guardian report from December 2024, the price of the tickets for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour averaged out at $204 each.FTC @FTCLINKFTC takes action against ticket resellers for using illegal tactics to bypass ticket limit protections in violation of Better Online Ticket Sales Act: https://bit.ly/4lxiMeK /1How much did KIG make through Taylor Swift’s 2023 Eras Tour ticket resaleCourt filings detail how KIG secured and resold tickets to Taylor Swift’s 2023 Eras Tour. Between March and August 2023, the company purchased about 2,280 tickets across 38 tour dates, spending $744,970.29 and reselling them for $1,961,980.65.FTC @FTCLINKFTC alleges the defendants have bypassed Ticketmaster’s protections and purchased hundreds of thousands of tickets to resell at a significant markup /2At just one tour stop, Taylor Swift’s Allegiant Stadium show in Las Vegas, KIG allegedly used 49 different accounts to purchase 273 tickets, later reselling them for a net profit of $119,227.21.The figures highlight how Taylor Swift fans were forced to pay steep markups. While face-value prices varied by seat and venue, FTC’s lawsuit shows resales through KIG pushed ticket costs to more than double the original purchase price. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe company also engaged in similar practices for other artists, along with Taylor Swift. For example, KIG used 277 accounts to secure over 1,500 tickets for a Bruce Springsteen 2023 MetLife Stadium show, generating about $21,000 in revenue.KIG disputes FTC’s interpretation of BOTS ActKIG has rejected the FTC’s allegations and says it will fight the lawsuit. In a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter on August 18, 2025, a representative for the company said,"In an unprecedented move, the FTC has twisted the intent of the BOTS Act, a law designed to target malicious software, into a weapon against legitimate businesses and consumers. Under the FTC’s interpretation, anyone who purchases more than four tickets or uses more than one account could be deemed in violation of federal law. That outcome is not only illogical, it’s absurd."The company accused the FTC of “deceptively” portraying KIG’s use of standard browsers as the use of illegal bots, calling it “a clear example of regulatory overreach.”KIG had already filed a July 2025 lawsuit against the FTC challenging the agency’s investigation. At the time, the company argued that it had complied with the BOTS Act, which was designed to prevent specialized computer programs, or "ticket bots", from bulk-buying event tickets before consumers had a chance to purchase them.