Italy’s antitrust authority (AGCM) has fined ticketing company CoopCulture and six tour operators a total of nearly €20 million for mass-purchasing tickets to the Roman Colosseum, depriving tourists of the chance to buy them at standard prices.
According to Reuters, CoopCulture — which was responsible for the official ticket sales from 1997 to 2024 — received a €7 million fine. AGCM stated that the company failed to prevent the automated bulk buying of tickets and reserved a significant portion of them for its own tour packages.
As a result, the regulator said, the availability of tickets at standard prices was “severely and persistently” limited, forcing tourists to buy more expensive packages bundled with additional services.
The six tour operators — Tiqets International BV, GetYourGuide Deutschland GmbH, Walks LLC, Italy With Family S.r.l., City Wonders Limited, and Musement S.p.A. — were accused of using bots to purchase large quantities of tickets, which were then resold as part of guided tours or with priority access.
The investigation began in July 2023 following numerous complaints from tourists who said it was nearly impossible to purchase Colosseum tickets at official prices through the CoopCulture website.
