Those who want to scalp tickets at the Salt Lake Games will have it a lot easier than anticipated.
Salt Lake organizers set up a Ticket Exchange to provide a controlled – and legal – environment for the ticket scalping that planners knew would accompany the Games. Although ticket scalping is legal in Utah, scalping that turns into a for-profit business must be licensed.
Individuals can sell their own seats to an event, even for profit, without a licence. But those who buy up large numbers of tickets they never intend to use so they can resell them need licences.
But since scalping is being regulated by rented security guards hired by the city’s business licensing department, and not actual police officers, the scalpers seem to ignore the security guards when they are issued citations and have their tickets confiscated.
