UPAD Deploys ‘Rakija Pit’ To Keep Bots Out Of High-Demand Concerts

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- UPAD, a fintech-driven ticketing startup, has rolled out a novel anti-bot protocol called Rakija Pit, designed to identify and quarantine automated ticket purchases during high-demand events.

In a statement, UPAD said the protocol debuted during the New Year’s Eve sale for regional pop sensation Aleksandra Prijović, organised by Extra FM, which experienced unprecedented bot traffic across the Balkans.

Within minutes, UPAD’s behaviour engine flagged purchase patterns far above normal thresholds. Automated sessions were immediately diverted into the Rakija Pit—a quarantine lane where bots can “dance” endlessly but never reach checkout.

Meanwhile, genuine fans moved through the queue uninterrupted, ensuring fair access to tickets.

The playful name draws on Balkan humour: “only real humans survive rakija”. But behind the joke lies a sophisticated tech framework more typical of modern fintech than regional ticketing.

Unlike many European Union platforms that accept bot traffic as a nuisance, UPAD treats Rakija Pit as an integrity layer, prioritising fairness for fans, organisers, and artists alike.

To maintain transparency, UPAD plans to publish a public Event Digest with anonymised metrics, including queue composition, purchase success rates, quarantined anomalies, and overall integrity scores.

-- BERNAMA