Where ticket scalpers are criminals. (Statstats).

During the 2001 World Series, Arizona citizens felt the joy of co-hosting their first championship series. Ecstatic Diamondback fans quickly snapped up tickets to see their barely christened major league baseball team battle the historic New York Yankees. And the scalpers were also on hand. Bourbon Street was their site during last month's Super Bowl in Louisiana.

During the 2001 World Series in Arizona, tickets had face values ranging from $40 to $110. In an effort to defeat scalping, tickets were to be available only over the phone from contracted ticket agents, and callers were limited to four tickets. It didn't work. Some fans shelled out as much as $400 for $40 standing-room-only seats, with several diehards willing to pay as much as $1,000.

There are no federal laws directly governing ticket resale, but several states and a number of municipalities prohibit reselling for more than face value. Some states with resale laws allow a small premium to be charged, usually no more than $3 by a reseller, though they generally allow contracted ticket agents to charge whatever they want.

At least 15 states prohibit the resale of tickets, seven require a license to broker tickets and consider reselling a crime, and four grant localities the right to license or prohibit resale of tickets. Some cities have regulations against ticket brokering, although state law does not expressly prohibit it. In almost all instances where ticket scalping is prohibited or there's resale without a license, the offense is a misdemeanor. In Connecticut, a third offense makes it a felony.

STATE STATUTES ON TICKET SCALPING

State                  Type of Ticket

Alabama                 Not specified

Arizona         Any event if within 200 feet

Arkansas            High school, college
                  athletic, or music events

California           Entertainment event

Connecticut      Any amusement area, arena,
                      stadium, theater,
                     performance, sport,
                   exhibition or athletic
                           contest

Delaware         Any event at the University
                of Delaware sports center or
                 NASCAR race at Dover Downs

Florida             Amusement location or
                      facility offering
                        entertainment

Georgia              Athletic contest or
                     entertainment event

Illinois           Public entertainment or
                 amusement, including sports
                           events

Kentucky                    Event

Louisiana         Athletic contest, dance,
                 theater, concert, circus or
                 other amusement not college
                            level

Maryland         Boxing or kickboxing event

Massachusetts   Theatrical exhibition, public
                      show or amusement


Michigan          Theatre, circus, game or
                       place of public
                        entertainment

Minnesota          Show, circus, athletic
                  contest or amusement for
                       general public

Mississippi      College events or on state
                          property

Missouri            Public sporting event

New Jersey         Places of entertainment

New Mexico         College athletic event



New York          Theater, places of public
                 amusement or entertainment

North Carolina    (*) Any admission ticket

North Dakota         Grants authority to
                 municipalities to license,
                  tax or prohibit scalpers

Ohio             Town trustees may regulate
                    resale of tickets to
                   theatrical or sporting
                   events or other public
                  amusements. Prohibited at
                 boxing or wrestling matches

Pennsylvania         Place of amusement





South Dakota    Grants authority to counties
                to license, tax, regulate or
                  prohibit ticket scalpers

Virginia            (**) Sporting events,
                   theatrical productions,
                 lecture, motion picture or
                 public event where tickets
                     are ordinarily sold

Wisconsin         Amusement, game, contest,
                  exhibition or performance

State                      Penalty

Alabama

Arizona                 Petty Offense

Arkansas        Misdemeanor plus fine between
                         $25 to $500

California               Misdemeanor

Connecticut          First offense is a
                 misdemeanor, second offense
                 is a Class A and subsequent
                    offenses are Class D
                          felonies

Delaware         First offense is a Class B
                 misdemeanor and subsequent
                    offenses are Class A

Florida           Second degree misdemeanor



Georgia


Illinois             Class A misdemeanor



Kentucky                  Violation

Louisiana        Fine $100 to $500 and jail
                     time 30 to 90 days



Maryland                 Not stated

Massachusetts   Fine $500 or less; subsequent
                  offenses garner fine and
                          jail time

Michigan                 Misdemeanor



Minnesota                Misdemeanor



Mississippi              Misdemeanor


Missouri                 Misdemeanor

New Jersey               Not stated

New Mexico               Misdemeanor
                  Fine $500 or less or jail
                    time one year or less

New York                   Varies


North Carolina       Class 2 misdemeanor

North Dakota



Ohio






Pennsylvania    Fine up to $300 with default
                   up to 30 days in jail;
                 subsequent offenses garner
                  fine up to $5,000 and/or
                  jail time up to two years

South Dakota



Virginia             Class 3 misdemeanor





Wisconsin       Fine $10 to $100 or jail time
                        up to 60 days

(*)Prohibited if service fee exceeds $300

(**)State leaves it up to localities