Attorney General's News Release

April 7, 2005

Attorney General Nixon lauds new efforts by St. Louis Cardinals to combat baseball ticket fraud

Attorney General Nixon listens as Cardinals President Mark Lamping explains how a new ticket verification system will keep counterfeit tickets out of the ballpark.

St. Louis, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon today joined executives with the St. Louis Baseball Cardinals in the introduction of a new verification system that will help combat the sale of counterfeit tickets.

Nixon noted that with the advancement of technology, the tactics of counterfeiters have become more sophisticated. In addition, he said, so have the methods of sale of the illegal tickets.

“I appreciate the work and cooperation of the Cardinals organization to address what is really a consumer protection issue,” Nixon said. “Fans need to know that if they purchase a ticket from somewhere other than one of the authorized outlets, there's a risk that they won't have a valid ticket.”

Nixon says his office has been cracking down on the illegal sale of tickets to sporting events

On the day before the Cardinals home opening game, the organization debuted the introduction of a scanning system that will verify tickets as spectators come through the gate. The system will instantly verify the ticket, which is then returned to the ticket's holder.

Nixon's office has been cracking down on the illegal sale of tickets to sporting events, including the sale of Cardinals playoff tickets for an amount in excess of their face value by a Columbia online ticket broker last October. Last month, a circuit court judge in Kansas City sentenced a woman to four years in prison and ordered her to pay $14,000 in restitution for selling fake NASCAR tickets online in charges brought by Nixon's office.

Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

E-mail      Phone: 573-751-8844         Fax: 573-751-5818