Antitrust Imposes 20 Million Euros in Fines Over Colosseum Ticket Sales

Rome: Italian Antitrust Authority AGCM announced that it has imposed fines totaling nearly 20 million euros on a cooperative and six tour operators for illegal practices related to the sale of tickets to the Colosseum Archaeological Park in Rome.

According to Ansa News Agency, the investigation, which began in July 2023, revealed that purchasing tickets online for the Colosseum Archaeological Park was “essentially impossible.” AGCM’s findings led to a seven-million-euro fine for Società Cooperativa Culture (CoopCulture), which managed the official ticket sales for the Colosseum from 1997 until 2024. The agency stated that CoopCulture contributed to the unavailability of base-priced tickets by failing to counter automated ticket hoarding and reserving a significant portion of tickets for bundled sales with its educational tours.

AGCM further elaborated that CoopCulture’s actions forced consumers to buy tickets through tour operators and platforms, which sold them with additional services at inflated prices.
The tour operators involved-Tiqets International BV, GetYourGuide Deutschland GmbH, Walks LLC, Italy With Family S.r.l., City Wonders Limited, and Musement S.p.A-were found to have used bots or other automated tools to quickly purchase tickets, thus exacerbating the scarcity on CoopCulture’s website.

The authority noted that this practice left consumers with no choice but to buy tickets bundled with services like guided tours, pickup, or priority access, often at much higher prices. This situation allowed the operators to benefit from the constant unavailability of base-priced tickets, a condition AGCM aims to rectify with these fines.