Arsenal ticket changes deliver major boost for supporters as touting crackdown continues
Arsenal’s efforts to combat ticket touting are beginning to produce significant results, with more genuine supporters successfully securing tickets for matches at the Emirates Stadium.
More than 100,000 members who entered at least one ticket ballot during the 2025/26 season were successful, according to football.london, representing an increase of over 10 per cent from the previous campaign.
That is particularly notable given demand during a season in which Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for the Premier League title.
More than 270,000 tickets were distributed through the ballot system over the campaign, which Arsenal introduced to replace the previous first-come, first-served process for Red and Silver members.
The change remains divisive among supporters, particularly those who previously had greater success by joining online queues when tickets became available.
However, the ballot was partly designed to provide more equal access for supporters unable to spend long periods waiting online because of work or other commitments.
Crucially, it has also provided Arsenal with another weapon against bots and touts attempting to obtain tickets before reselling them at inflated prices.
Around 19,000 accounts were reportedly banned for breaching the club’s ticketing policies last season, taking the overall number of accounts banned during Arsenal’s recent crackdown to approximately 74,000.
The scale of the problem is even greater when automated activity is considered, with Arsenal revealing in 2023 that they had blocked more than 300,000 suspected bot accounts.
Arsenal say their ballot allows suspicious behaviour to be detected before tickets are allocated, while the Ticket Exchange is initially restricted to members who entered the relevant ballot unsuccessfully.
The club also conducts checks on matchdays, with between 100 and 200 suspicious tickets potentially held for collection so identification can be verified before entry is permitted.
Accounts connected to illegal resale can subsequently be cancelled, while Arsenal’s current ticketing terms allow indefinite bans where there are sufficient grounds to believe a member has been involved in touting.
Further measures could follow, with football.london reporting that Arsenal are considering greater use of identity verification to make it more difficult for touts to operate.
There have also been signs of improved accessibility away from home, with six away fixtures reportedly reaching zero loyalty points last season, including five Champions League matches.
Arsenal nevertheless still face the difficult task of balancing accessibility with loyalty, particularly for long-standing members who believe the ballot has reduced their chances of regularly attending matches.
Season-ticket availability remains another challenge because renewal rates are extremely high, with Arsenal acknowledging that movement on their waiting list can consequently be limited.
The ballot may therefore remain imperfect, but the numbers indicate that Arsenal’s broader anti-touting strategy is having an effect.
More supporters are successfully obtaining tickets while tens of thousands of suspicious accounts have been removed, providing tangible progress in Arsenal’s attempt to keep seats in the hands of genuine fans.
The post Arsenal ticket changes deliver major boost for supporters as touting crackdown continues first appeared on ArsenalNews.co.uk.
