Event-goers know that purchasing tickets to an upcoming concert or show can often be a race against time. If they aren't able to score tickets during a presale, there may be few options left by the time the tickets go on sale to the general public.

In recent years, fans have become irritated at the rise of scalpers using automated software (known as bots) to purchase large quotas of tickets and put them on the resale market at increased markups. In an attempt to crack down on scalpers, Ticketmaster has unveiled a new program for fans to purchase event tickets — one that lets them avoid competing with bots.

Although scalpers can still be seen outside venues bellowing "tickets!" to passersby, the rise of online ticket sales has given the scalping business a more lucrative marketplace. The use of bots to purchase a large quantity of tickets in a short period of time — often a few minutes — which are then flipped to resale websites such as StubHub has given scalpers the chance to make hefty profits off fans who were unable to buy tickets via a primary ticket vendor.

Tickets sell out in minutes, leaving scalpers to profit and music fans to miss out on their favorite artists, unless they are willing to literally pay the price elsewhere. Ticketmaster's Verified Fan program has been introduced to save fans from the frustrations of losing out to scalpers.

Fast Company reports that the program will require individuals to preregister with their Ticketmaster account to be included in an upcoming ticket sale. Ticketmaster's algorithms will then verify their identity and level of fandom, and text them a verification code and invitation to partake in the sale.

However, this is still a first-come, first-served situation among the "real" fans. Those who wait too long could miss out.

So far, the program has verified 1.5 million fans, and Ticketmaster reports a 90 percent reduction in the number of tickets that have ended up on resale websites. Acts such as U2, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran and Mumford & Sons have all experienced impressive sales, with fewer bots hoarding tickets for resale purposes.

What led to this? The music industry is aware of the effect scalping has had on touring revenues and has been looking to fight back for some time.

There have been several instances in which artists have voiced their opinions. In 2005, U2's Grammy acceptance speech acknowledged that fans were unable to buy tickets because of bots, and they apologized for the suffering that had been caused.

In 2011, when LCD Soundsystem announced a farewell tour, bots hoarded tickets, marking them up to prices as high as $350,000. To combat the scalpers' efforts, they played four shows at Terminal 5, a smaller New York City venue, and required fans to show ID and a credit card upon entry. However, when the band reunited in 2016, they once again found their tickets marked up by resellers.

At this point, could anyone be so shocked at something that had become so commonplace?

David Marcus, EVP of Music at Ticketmaster, called the LCD Soundsystem situation "an injustice." He recognized that there was more money to be made on the resale market, as this was now an $8 billion industry. The profits being made from scalpers was also undercutting Ticketmaster and other primary ticket sellers.

Beyond Ticketmaster's software being susceptible to bots, was there anything the government could do? Fan were beginning to wonder, and they voiced their opinions to their local representatives.

A bill to make the use of software bots for the purpose of buying concert tickets prohibited was passed by Congress in late 2016. The Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act aims to level the playing field for those purchasing concert tickets, prosecuting those violating the Act with "unfair or deceptive acts."

The BOTS Act made it illegal for online programs to purchase tickets for concerts, Broadway musicals and other events with a capacity for more than 200 people. The law prohibits the circumvention of security measures used to purchase these tickets, which works hand in hand with the Verified Fan program's goal of selling to real buyers.

But with any new program, nothing can immediately be perfect. U2, currently on The Joshua Tree Tour 2017, was one of the first bands to test out the anti-scalping software. At a recent show in Vancouver, chaos ensued.

Fans had to swipe their credit card in order to be "verified" before being let inside. This turned out to be a lengthier process than planned, as those arriving at 7 p.m. did not get in until 9 p.m. — missing opening act Mumford & Sons, scheduled to go on at 7:30. Both Ticketmaster and B.C. Place recognized the hassle that was caused, and acknowledged that they will have to better prepare for future events.

There are still other areas of improvement to be explored with the new program in place — although not all of them are software-based or a solution to be imposed by law.

Fans of Harry Styles were disappointed to see that there were simply not enough tickets to go around to see him. It was a matter of speed among the Verified Fans to purchase tickets before they were scooped up by others. In a case like this, perhaps Styles' team may want to look at visiting larger venues or book multiple dates in one city for future tours.

Despite these growing pains, fans, ticket vendors and the government will all play a great role in the months and years to come. Vendors will have to ensure fans have fair access to upcoming events, while ensuring that scalping technologies are not disrupting their ticket supply.

In addressing consumer concerns and keeping a watchful eye on verifying ticket buyers, Ticketmaster and other vendors may be able to cut down on bots, ultimately pacifying fans and artists alike.