Tyson & Brother v. Banton

Touting or "ticket scalping" has been around sporting events as long as theory of supply and demand. "Scalpers" range from street venders trying to make an extra buck to national brokers catering to the elite class of entertainment seekers. Some national brokers make millions of dollars off of the resale of tickets to sporting events at inflated prices using fax machines and web sites. Ticket scalping is legal in ten states, illegal in nine, and regulated in 32 others under certain restrictions. Some argue that ticket scalping is a regrettable aspect of organized sports while others suggest it is merely a function of supply and demand like any other business.

The ticket scalping business soared in the 1990s and with its success came abuses. The most profitable events for brokers are: the Final Four, the Masters, and the Superbowl. In some cases brokers took advanced payments without providing tickets. To prevent such abuses a group of brokers got together to form the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB). Members of the NATB encourage ticket buyers to check up on brokers to make sure they belong to the organization before purchasing from them.