Attorney General's News Release
November 16, 2007
Judge orders ticket broker to stop scalping MU-KU tickets; broker is also defendant in Hannah Montana lawsuit
Kansas City, Mo. — Attorney General Jay Nixon has obtained a court order to stop an out-of-state ticket broker from scalping tickets for next weekend’s sold-out football game in Kansas City between the University of Missouri and Kansas University. Jackson County Circuit Judge John R. O’Malley today issued a temporary restraining order against GoTickets Inc. that prohibits the Springfield, Ill.—based broker from continuing to sell or offer to sell tickets for the game above face-value in violation of state and local anti-scalping laws.
On Nov. 9, an investigator with the Attorney General’s Office purchased two tickets for the Nov. 24 Border Showdown game from the GoTickets Web site for $275 apiece, plus $14.95 shipping per ticket. The purchase was made within the city limits of Kansas City. Nixon is alleging that the sale violated a state statute against selling or offering to sell tickets for sporting events above face value and a Kansas City municipal ordinance against selling tickets for any event above face value.
The charge that GoTickets violated the law by scalping tickets to the MU-KU game was added to a pending lawsuit Nixon filed against the broker Oct. 4. The original lawsuit charged GoTickets with violating Missouri law by scalping tickets for the Dec. 3 Hannah Montana concert at Kansas City’s Sprint Center. That event also has been sold out for months.
“This broker continues to scalp tickets in violation of Missouri consumer protections laws, despite our pending lawsuit,” Nixon said.
The sale or offer for sale of sports tickets above face value is currently illegal under Missouri’s state scalping law, while the sale of any tickets above face value in Kansas City violates a local ordinance against scalping. Both laws are set to expire Nov. 28 when a bill signed by the Governor that invalidates all state and local anti—scalping laws in Missouri takes effect.
On Oct. 31, Nixon announced agreements with two ticket brokers regarding the scalping of tickets for the Hannah Montana concert. Under those agreements, the brokers donated more than 90 tickets for the concert to children’s charities in the Kansas City area.
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 the Press Secretary.
E-mail Phone: 573-751-8844 Fax: 573-751-5818