Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena is planning to go fully digital, dropping the use of paper tickets starting from January.
The new rule will be implemented for all events, including Washington Capitals and Wizards games, that will take place at the venue after January 1, 2020.
Monumental Sports & Entertainment, owner and operator of Capital One Arena, announced its decision on December 18 in a press release.
“At Monumental, we have had a very strong mobile presence for the past four years with the vast majority of our fans currently taking advantage of the benefits of utilizing digital tickets for entry into Capitals and Wizards games at Capital One Arena,” Jim Van Stone, the company’s head of business operations, said in the release.
“We are focused on making our entire ticketing process as streamlined as possible while ensuring our fans are fully educated and prepared for how to best manage their tickets.”
Only those buying tickets in-person at the box office will be able to get a physical paper ticket, according to the Washington Business Journal, which attributed it to a spokeswoman for Monumental.
The firm will be using Ticketmaster’s “Presence” system to increase security and avoid fraudulent transactions.
In order to access tickets, event-goers would have to download the Ticketmaster app on their smartphone or go to Ticketmaster.com on a smart device.
“Things like entry information, in-venue updates, upgrade offers, and any event changes can be communicated directly to the fan attending the show. In addition to providing a more engaging experience for fans, venues can increase security and decrease fraud by better understanding both who bought the ticket and who is in the seat at an event,” according to Ticketmaster, which says the system is currently being used in over 700 venues across North America.
A “rotating bar code” placed on the digital tickets changes multiple times, disabling their printouts or screenshot versions.