The New Jersey Senate has passed bipartisan legislation that aims to protect restaurants and patrons from the unauthorized sale of reservations through third-party services.
The bill, A-3318/S1193/1197 Scs, would prohibit third-party reservation websites or mobile apps from advertising, listing, or selling restaurant reservations without a written agreement with the restaurant and establish civil penalties for third-party services that violate the terms of the legislation.
Third-party reservation marketplaces have become more prominent in recent years, allowing the sale of reservations without the restaurant’s consent. When this occurs, the tables are often resold at inflated prices, and if no buyer is found, the reservation may be canceled at the last minute, leaving empty tables and costing restaurants valuable revenue.
“We’ve seen reservation scalping during major sporting events around the country and as New Jersey prepares to host the World Cup, we’re taking action to prevent that from occurring here in the Garden State,” state Sen. Kristin Corrado, R-Bergen/Essex/Passaic, said in a statement.
“Third-party reservation brokers have sold tables that they do not own for outrageous prices, often without the knowledge of a restaurant or small business,” Corrado added. “This bill protects patrons from price-gouging and ensures that the benefit of major events goes to our local businesses, not opportunistic middlemen.”
During the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, a third-party service sold a reservation for over $2,000, sparking other states, including Illinois and New York, to adopt similar measures.
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