Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey’s office has received complaints about high-priced tickets for Portland Hearts of Pine soccer matches and other issues on resale sites on the heels of a consumer protection law the Legislature passed this year.
The reported concerns, including those surrounding competitive tickets for the state’s only professional soccer club that has seen sold-out crowds in its inaugural season, get at the broader arguments that proponents made in supporting the law from Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, that Gov. Janet Mills signed in June.
The number of complaints also illustrates the challenges Maine faces in seeing immediate results with its new law that makes the small state stand out. Daughtry’s measure has been hailed as a first-in-the-nation law aimed at cracking down on hidden fees and price gouging.
It includes an array of consumer protections, such as requiring ticket resellers to disclose fees up front, banning resellers from charging more than 10 percent of the original total ticket price, banning the use of fake websites and bots that buy up large blocks of seats and requiring refunds for misleading sales.
The Democratic-led Legislature passed the law in June mostly along party lines, and it took effect Sept. 24. Frey, a Democrat, and his office are tasked with enforcing the law that can require violators to pay civil fines. Since mid-June, the office has received eight complaints over ticket sale issues likely related to the law, Frey spokesperson Danna Hayes said Wednesday.
Five complaints related to Hearts of Pine ticket sales on StubHub, while the three other complaints related to resale platforms GoTickets and TicketsOnSale.com along with sports betting site DraftKings, according to Hayes.
Hayes added she is unable to share additional specifics, such as on the nature of the complaints or if any were submitted before the law took effect, or confirm if the office is continuing to investigate any complaint, as is standard policy for the office’s investigations.
The prices of Hearts of Pine tickets on StubHub have not been cheap during the club’s inaugural season in United Soccer League One, which is the third tier of professional men’s soccer in the U.S. Hearts of Pine quickly sold out its season tickets this year and has seen supporters routinely pack the stands and standing room areas at the roughly 6,000-seat capacity Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland, with a 2026 season ticket waitlist available online.
The cheapest tickets available for the club’s upcoming Oct. 18 home match against Westchester SC, currently the league’s last-place club, were $93 after fees as of Thursday. Seats by the lively Dirigo Union supporter’s section that is dubbed “The Zoo” were $172 on StubHub.
For context, the league’s current first-place club, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, had tickets for an upcoming match against Westchester SC available Thursday for as low as about $12. Tickets for the New England Revolution, which plays in the top-tier Major League Soccer, were as low as $24 for an upcoming home match at Gillette Stadium outside of Boston.
StubHub opposed Daughtry’s amended proposal that became law as part of its broader feud with Ticketmaster and Ticketmaster parent Live Nation Entertainment, but StubHub is following the new law, spokesperson Jessica Roey said. The site also informs buyers and resellers of the need to comply with the new statute in Maine.
“StubHub is a marketplace that connects buyers and sellers — we do not control ticket pricing or have visibility into the original price paid for tickets, and tickets may be above or below the original purchase price,” Roey said.
Hearts of Pine reportedly leads USL League One in attendance while selling more merchandise than the league’s 13 other clubs combined. It is seeking to break the league’s single-game attendance record during the Oct. 21 match against Spokane Velocity FC. With four matches remaining between Friday and Oct. 25, the team currently sits sixth in the league that sees the top eight clubs qualify for the playoffs.
Daughtry, the state Senate leader who sponsored the new law, said she has heard of concerns over resold Hearts of Pine tickets but added Frey’s office is handling any complaints.
The lawmaker said her bill evolved following bipartisan talks with lawmakers and event venues, such as Portland’s State Theatre. It is drawing attention around the country, with Daughtry invited to speak at a National Independent Venue Association summit in Indianapolis.
“This is a really cool bill,” she said.
