The Masters golf tournament is only a day old and already law enforcement officials have arrested a couple of people for ticket scalping, according to published reports. More arrests could be on the way.
Golf’s first major of the season, and one of the most prestigious sporting events in the world, the tournament has been a boon for ticket brokers and hospitality providers for years, partly because like the Kentucky Derby it takes place at the same location each year and breeds repeat business annually. But for every legitimate ticket reseller, the tournament also attracts many of the shadier scalpers who refuse to play by the rules.
The Masters frowns on the resale of tickets for the event, but Georgia allows resale. So, while it’s not illegal to sell your ticket, the state’s law requires scalpers be at least 2,700 feet away from the entrance and grounds of the Augusta National Golf Club to resell tickets. Enforcement officials said they see, and arrest, some of the same people each year for scalping. They know the rules but the lure of fast, easy money proves too great.
The identities of the pair of scalpers arrested were not readily available but enforcement officials, who were conducting an undercover sting to catch scalpers, also confiscated at least 20 additional tickets to the event, according to published reports.
(The image accompanying this story is from WRDW.com and Masters.org)
