On 8 April 2025, Italy’s competition authority said GetYourGuide Deutschland GmbH and five other tour operators were fined for using bots or other automated tools to buy Colosseum tickets, contributing to the disappearance of standard-priced tickets. Reuters reported that GetYourGuide called the ruling “unfounded and far removed from the facts” and said it would defend its operations.
Sources
https://en.agcm.it/en/media/press-releases/2025/4/PS12603-
Within the same proceedings, the Authority also imposed fines on the six tour operators mentioned above, which used bots or other automated tools to purchase tickets, contributing to the rapid disappearance of base-priced tickets on the website of licensed operator CoopCulture. By doing so, the operators benefited from the constant unavailability of tickets, which left consumers seeking access to the Colosseum with no choice but to purchase them through these channels – often at much higher prices due to the bundling with additional services offered either directly or via other operators.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/italy-fines-tour-operators-almost-075606252.html
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 also fined for using software robots (bots) to buy tickets in bulk, contributing to their rapid disappearance from CoopCulture's website.