First test for Games profiteers
POLICE have laid the first charges under Victoria’s ground-breaking scalping laws.
The charges flowed from last year’s AFL Grand Final, but the Government yesterday said the prosecutions had wider implications.
“This is a warning to anyone looking to sell Commonwealth Games tickets at a profit,” Games Minister Justin Madden said.
Uniformed and undercover police will be posted at Games venues and internet and newspaper advertisements will be investigated.
Demand will be red hot for events such as swimming finals involving the likes of Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Giaan Rooney and Jodie Henry. Track cycling, also heavily oversubscribed, will be a target for scalpers.
The Government introduced anti-scalping laws in 2002 after years of outcry over grand final profiteering. The law exposes greedy event organisers, ticket on-sellers and street-corner touts to fines of up to $6000 a ticket for individuals and $30,000 for companies.
People scalping multiple tickets can be fined up to $60,000, and companies $300,000.
Tickets can be seized and holders refused entry. Mr Madden said two interstate men had recently been charged with grand final scalping.
It is believed both were caught up in sting operations after advertising tickets for sale.
The Commonwealth Games is the second event to be declared under anti-scalping laws. Mr Madden said after teething problems at the 2003 AFL Grand Final, a Consumer Affairs audit found compliance had been high last year.
Grand Final and Games tickets must carry a warning that on-sale above face value is an offence.
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