A ticket broker earns a living selling concerts tickets, movies and other show tickets to buyers who can’t find how to book tickets for the show they’ve been waiting to watch for a long time. These buyers have been through counters and not got tickets and are looking for ticket brokers to sell them those tickets at any cost.

Don’t worry about the time of recessions and depending completely on your regular job salary. Earn a living as a ticket broker, you don’t need a job in any company to get over expenses anymore. If you decide to be a ticket broker you must also know how much of comfort, fun and excitement there is in this job.

You can simply stay at home and work on your computer. It is like any other comfy online job that gets your bank account good and respectable income coming in. This job also helps you get tickets cheap for yourself.

If you’ve always had to step back because of the price of the ticket of the specific show, being a ticket broker you get the tickets at the original price and you can make for the price after selling ticket to others at a higher price. Therefore the show is yours at a very low cost.

These article contain the things you will need to do if you decide to be a ticket broker:

• What Does a Ticket Broker do?
• What Should You Keep in Mind as a Ticket Broker?
• What Are Some Ticket Broker Business Tips?
• What Should I do Before Becoming a Ticket Broker?
• When Should You Buy Your Tickets?
• How Can I Sell Tickets and Make Money?
• How do I Become a Successful Ticket Broker?
• Is Being a Ticket Broker Legal?
• Is TicketMaster a Ticket Broker?
• What is the Difference Between Ticket Broker And Scalpers?
• How Much Does a Ticket Broker Make?
• What is The Role of a Ticket Broker When Selling Tickets For The Super Bowl?
• How do I Become an Online Ticket Broker?
• How do I Start a Ticket Broker Business?
• How Many Ticket Brokers Are There?
• Can You Make Money Selling NBA Tickets?
• What is a Licensed Ticket Broker?
• What is a Scalper Ticket?
• Why is Ticket Scalping Illegal?

What Does a Ticket Broker do?

Working as a ticket broker is simply a buying and selling business. You buy tickets and then you sell them. It is something retailers do. The ticket brokerage could earn you a lot more money in a very short period of time. It is like a part-time business with a full-time income. The work needs a part of your time, speed and sense.

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Take for example, a music concert. And you have to earn by ticket broking from this concert. What you do is, you buy a bunch of tickets for the price it offers and then sell it for more than double that price. Don’t worry, there are people who will pay you that much just to enter the concert. Timing is the most important here. Nobody likes to pay more than the actual price of anything and neither do you.

When a show is announced in your city, what you need to do is book as many tickets as you can and then wait for the time all the tickets are sold out. Now you have tickets with you more than required. You will sell these tickets at a higher price to gain your income. For example: If the ticket a show is priced at is $20, you buy around 10 tickets at $20 each, so you spent $200 for the tickets.

Tickets for a good show are sold out within a week. You will see people looking for ticket brokers, find these people and sell them your tickets at $40 per ticket. You get $400 for those same tickets and make $200 profit in a week’s time. This was if you purchase only 10 tickets. Of course you can purchase more than 10 at a time and charge more than double, it’s your choice.

What Should You Keep in Mind as a Ticket Broker?

It is not a difficult job, but every job has its pros and cons. You need to gauge every possible detail before taking up any job these days. The ticket broker job doesn’t guarantee 100% income security. There are many who have fallen into heavy debts because of loss in the business. Thus it is better you know it properly before falling from frying pan to fire.

You will need a credit card to sell tickets on a website at a price more than what is printed on the ticket. Basically it is not the right thing to do in public. It has no reputation in society, and people think of it as illegal business. Well, is it illegal? Yes, it is, but not everywhere.

Most of the states have rules and regulation against the act of selling tickets at a price more than it costs. But people still do it to make a living out of it. It is not drugs so the police are not so strict about it but it is done in hiding. It is done through websites. When you start broking tickets, be sure you don’t brag about it even to your closest friend; this might put you behind bars for a high penalty to pay.

Being careful will keep you secure. Some states demand a license of you to register as a ticket broker. This is a safer way to work; you don’t have to hide your work unless you’re ashamed of it. It is good if you check with the laws of the province you reside in.

What Are Some Ticket Broker Business Tips?

Know about a few facts that will prove helpful later in your business. You might be having your own set of questions in your mind right now. Some of them might be; how many ticket brokers exist in your area, how much and how hard a competition you will have to face, what you will need to start-off with the work, the costs, etc.

Among these million questions in your mind you will learn the answers as you go. You need to first start with the work. To start with the work all you will need is money to spend on the ticket in the beginning i.e. to buy these tickets and then finding avenues to sell them again. As many into the business are fresher’s like yourself, you will probably have competitors with doubts like your own.

What you need to do is research before getting into anything. For some helpful facts, there are thousands of them but not all of them sell online. There are many who move around physically and sell tickets, these are college students selling among their college mates but because known people bargain, these brokers don’t earn much.

Selling to unknown customers gets you out of the bargaining area. You can register on eBay, Craigslist and Stubhub for selling or you can log in to other less known tickets selling sites like; TicketsNow, EveryTicket, RazorGator, OnlineSeats, etc.

If you go searching on Google you will find many sites like these but not all of them can be trusted. Due to frauds buyers prefer well established sites to buy tickets.

What Should I do Before Becoming a Ticket Broker?

Here’s where you use your time. Before the whole city is made aware about it, you must know about it. Keep checking on the news from time to time about bands and their moves. Make connection with other brokers, they should be friendly to you or they will hamper your business. You need to do extensive research about the events going to be held in your city.

Find out the date and time of these events. If there are more than one events going to be held and you have to choose only one of these events to do business, see which of these events fall on weekends and choose that particular show. This way you’re sure to sell all you buy. In case it is not in your city, you can still do business.

You can buy tickets of events being held in other cities and sell those tickets online anywhere in the world. As we know these days tickets can simply be a computer printout. Find out about the date of sale of tickets. Wake up early that day and make sure you make enough purchases and if the tickets have advance booking, all the more better.

But before you go in for it, always check if the event is popular among people, else you will have to face losses in case you don’t sell any ticket. If it’s a band performance, check where else did the band perform and how was the public reaction.

What might be of hindrance is the number of tickets one person can buy at a time. It is better if there are no credit card limits to block your business growth.

When Should You Buy Your Tickets?

Here’s where you use your sense. Look for when the tickets are being sold and if it is a presale or on-sale going on. For purchasing in presale you will need a specific password. Sometimes on-sale tickets differ from presale tickets; this is done by the company organizing the show and selling original tickets to avoid brokers from buying tickets and selling them in black i.e. at a higher price than that of the cost.

So you need to be careful of that too. While you research you also have to find out about how the event management committee has been dealing with ticket brokers. Learn from others experience and prevent falling into loss. Apart from ticket brokers nobody waits for the exact time the ticket selling goes live.

So you have less competition when you find out the exact time of the beginning of the sales so that you can buy as many tickets as possible before they are done for the day. If you plan to wait around and not buy tickets that come in the first round you might get an offer in the second round. There are the risks of course that the tickets might get sold out; you’ll have to make the correct decision.

The work needs experience so that you can make appropriate decisions on time. With no experience you might find it difficult due to unfamiliarity. 

In case you’ve lost all the tickets, you can visit Craigslist, eBay and sites selling tickets for deals that will get you a few tickets but they won’t give you enough profit. Possibilities are you will run on a loss. It would be better you look out for other shows and not delay the next time around.

How Can I Sell Tickets and Make Money?

Once you’ve made the purchase what you do is register on a website you can sell them. First fix the rate of the ticket you’re going to sell. How do you fix the rate, if the tickets are still available on sale by the company you’ll probably have no customers.

In case you do have some because somebody just bumped into your page and doesn’t know about the concert, the pricing of the tickets, etc, it’s your lucky day. You’ll have to take help of a little bluffing, like telling that the tickets are sold out and you’re the only one left with a few to sell, this will force the buyer to take tickets from you at the rate you say.

Some of the most famous places to sell your tickets are Craigslist, eBay and Stubhub. These sites are visited by most of the ticket brokers all over the world. Buyers can get tickets at all prices here. Therefore even buyers prefer to visit these sites to buy tickets in black. What you will need to do is register.

To sell, you might have to pay the price of registering. To buy, you get to register for free. Craigslist is good for local shows in town. It is better you choose eBay for out of station shows. eBay charges less fees than Stubhub and it is considered the largest place where things are sold, these things include tickets. The customers are more on eBay than on the other two sites.

Hence you’re sure to have a good business going here. Craigslist has its bargain hunters, not as many customers as eBay but the competition is same here too. As far as Stubhub is concerned, it charges huge fees but quality customers visit Stubhub and buy tickets at high prices, higher than you can charge on eBay.

Basically Stubhub charges more to get genuine sellers instead of frauds and eBay has many frauds selling things online because of the low fees they charge. What you need to do is build a reputation, give away your e-mail ID to these customers who buy from you and ask them to contact you and you contact them directly when there’re shows in town.

How do I Become a Successful Ticket Broker?

If you have ever needed tickets to a popular sporting event or concert, you know how hard it can be to secure these in-demand tickets. A ticket broker takes on the task of deciding which events are hot, buying tickets in advance and reselling the tickets for a profit.

Event Experts estimates that ticket brokers make a profit of between 50 to 400 percent. The job of a ticket broker requires both foresight and creativity.

1. Join ticket broker associations. Groups such as the National Association of Ticket Brokers and the United States Ticket Brokers Association provide you with valuable tools to help run your business successfully. Both offer access to other members, creating networking and learning opportunities.

2. Choose a specialty area. Most successful ticket brokers are familiar enough with the markets they serve to know which events will be in-demand and which tickets will sell for a high dollar amount. It is best to choose a single genre of music, such as country or rock, or a type of sport, at first. Once you understand that market thoroughly, you can always branch out.

3. Obtain a business license. What type of license a ticket broker needs varies by state. In most states, a general business license is all that is required. Telephone your secretary of state to learn which type of license is required where you live. If you plan to sell tickets in front of the event, check with local authorities about scalping laws. Some cities allow scalpers within certain parameters whereas others do not.

4. Name your business and build a website. While a unique name can be fun, be sure to include what the business is and don’t make the name too obscure. For example, “Dudley’s” could be any type of business, but “Dudley’s Ticket Sales” indicates that tickets are for sale. Set up a website where customers can search for tickets in your inventory. Invest in a web designer to create a real-time inventory and ordering system.

5. Buy tickets to the events in highest demand and resell them. Purchase tickets from Ticketmaster, Livenation, individuals and other ticket brokers. Highere.com suggests marking tickets up at least 30 percent. Search other ticket broker sites for prices. Pay close attention to the quality of the seats and adjust your prices accordingly. List the tickets on your website and sites such as eBay.com.

6. Promote your ticket broker business. The nicest site in the world won’t do you much good if no one visits it and buys your tickets. Tell family and friends about your new website. Be careful not to spam, but announce in related forums that you have tickets available.

Some forums do not allow this type of post, so check rules carefully and participate in other discussions as well. Develop a mailing list of past clients and send out updates when you get a batch of new tickets.

Is Being a Ticket Broker Legal?

Ticket brokering is a way you can make extra money or even start a new career. Despite the shady reputations of ticket ‘scalpers,’ it is a legal enterprise – but you have to be licensed. It takes planning and a small amount of capital to begin a ticket brokering venture. Knowing what to expect up front will help you succeed in the critical early stages and set the stage for a stable source of income.

It’s important to have a goal in mind when you start any business venture. Do you want to sell local concert tickets? Or tickets to major league sporting events? Where do you want to base your operations? These decisions will impact everything from which licenses you apply for to how much startup money you will need.

Is TicketMaster a Ticket Broker?

Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. is an American ticket sales and distribution company based in Beverly Hills, California with operations in many countries around the world. In 2010 it merged with Live Nation under the name Live Nation Entertainment. 

The company’s ticket sales are fulfilled digitally or at its two main fulfillment centers located in Charleston, West Virginia, and Pharr, Texas for both primary and secondary markets. Ticketmaster’s clients include venues, artists and promoters. Clients control their events and set ticket prices, and Ticketmaster sells tickets that the clients make available to them.

Ticketmaster sells tickets that its clients make available to them. In 2009, Ticketmaster released a digital ticketing system that required customers to prove their identity prior to purchase. The company believed this would help circumvent brokers and scalpers.

What is the Difference Between Ticket Broker And Scalpers?

People who buy and sell tickets for profit are given many names: some call us ticket brokers, ticket agents, ticket resellers, and to some, they are just ticket scalpers.

The confusion between the two terms is mostly on the street. It comes up in conversations you have with your family and friends, or with strangers at a game or concert. It can come up when someone asks you, “So, what do you do?” Next time someone asks you that, you can point to these differences to show them that you’re a ticket broker and not a ticket scalper.

Timing

Scalpers and brokers sell tickets at very different times relative to the event date.

• Ticket brokers sell tickets days, weeks, and months before the event.
• Ticket scalpers sell tickets on the day of, or just minutes before showtime.

Location

Scalpers and brokers sell tickets in different locations.

• Ticket brokers sell tickets from their offices via the internet or telephone.
• Ticket scalpers sell tickets outside of the venue where the event will take place.

Licensing

Brokers abide by state ticket brokering laws whereas scalpers ignore them.

• Ticket brokers hold a ticket broker license if their state mandates one.
• Ticket scalpers sell without a license, even if state law requires one.

Ticket brokers are also often members of the National Association of Ticket Brokers, which offers them further levels of social, ethical, and legal legitimacy that scalpers are unlikely to provide.

Legitimacy & Refund policies

Brokers guarantee that your tickets are authentic (or your money back); scalped tickets are not guaranteed.

• Ticket brokers promise to provide authentic tickets or your money back.
• Ticket scalpers sell you tickets with no guarantee of authenticity or a refund.

Taxes

Ticket brokers report their earnings with the government; scalpers profit “under the table.”

• Ticket brokers file yearly taxes if their yearly earnings exceed $400.
• Ticket scalpers make money without filing taxes with the IRS.

Communication

Ticket brokers and ticket scalpers differ in their level of communication.

• Ticket brokers provide multiple methods of contact such as email, phone, or a physical address.
• Ticket scalpers usually offer no method of contact before or after the transaction takes place.

How Much Does a Ticket Broker Make?

The average annual pay for a Ticket Broker in the United States is $46,994 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $22.59 an hour. This is the equivalent of $904/week or $3,916/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $100,000 and as low as $17,500, the majority of Ticket Broker salaries currently range between $31,000 (25th percentile) to $50,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $75,500 annually across the United States.

The average pay range for a Ticket Broker varies greatly (by as much as $19,500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

What is The Role of a Ticket Broker When Selling Tickets For The Super Bowl?

These ticket buyers were engaging in what’s called “shorting.” To short something—wheat futures, Apple stock, the S&P 500, anything—is essentially to place a bet against it and to guess that its value will decline.

In the stock market, shorting means borrowing a stock, selling it away, waiting, and then later buying that same stock and returning it to its original owner; if, during that wait, the stock’s value declines, the short was successful. This is what the Super Bowl ticket brokers were doing: They were expecting that the price would drop while they waited.

In the world of finance, shorting can serve the greater good, allowing investors to mitigate risk. For example, a cranberry farmer can enter a contract to short cranberries so that, in the event of an unforeseen drop in cranberry prices, the farmer will gain a bit of money from the short even if cranberry farmers everywhere have to sell off their crops at marked-down prices.

How do I Become an Online Ticket Broker?

Getting an online ticket broker is a fantastic way to give value to your clients while also creating a big profit. Many fans don’t have the great fortune (or abilities ) to pull excellent chairs from Ticketmaster, thus by learning the appropriate methods, you can eventually become middleman between Ticketmaster and diehard sports and concert lovers that are prepared to pay you to get all those coveted tickets. Are you prepared to learn how to become an online ticket broker?

1) The first step in figuring out how to market tickets on the internet is the same as would apply to some startup company: you have money to generate money. If you’re seriously interested in the ticket brokering company, you’ll have to put aside a couple thousand bucks to receive your company off the floor.

This cash will be used to — you guessed it — purchase tickets! You can not sell’em if you do not have’em, right? You may spend thousands of bucks on tickets within the upcoming few months, and it is likely to be a couple weeks until you start to observe any earnings coming in. So be certain you be armed with a few million to start off you.

2) Familiarize yourself with your organization landscape. Get to understand how eBay and StubHub work since they’ll be making you all your cash. These websites function quite differently. By way of instance, eBay allows list designs; StubHub doesn’t.

EBay sellers cover shipping prices; StubHub sellers don’t. EBay takes away roughly 7 percent in charges; StubHub takes off 15 percent. EBay lets buyer/seller interaction; StubHub doesn’t. And these are only scratching the surface. If you go out there and start selling your tickets, then you do not wish to get caught off guard. Learn your land, and gain will come your way.

3) This is the most significant part being a ticket agent: you have to comprehend how Ticketmaster functions. However good you’re at every other component of ticket brokering, if you can not pull maximum seats on Ticketmaster always , then your efforts are wasted. The secret to bringing amazing tickets on Ticketmaster is persistence.

Read that last sentence again since that lesson has made me thousands of dollars in ticket revenue. To be able to succeed as a ticket agent, you have to stay asking tickets Ticketmaster even when they have shown you that the”Sold Out” display. Do not think it!

Maybe you have seen an occasion”sell out” on Ticketmaster two minutes after tickets go on sale? Do you truly think that it’s feasible to get a scene of 50,000 individuals to completely sell out in two minutes? Certainly not. Ticketmaster will discharge their tickets waves, and following every wave is done, they’ll demonstrate the”Sold Out” display. But do not be discouraged. The next wave is yet to emerge.

4) The other side of this coin is understanding how to market tickets online. The most significant elements to think about here is cost and validity. Consider it: would you really care that you are purchasing tickets from provided that they look legit and they provide you great seats?

You truly don’t care in their record layout, their auction name, all that stuff. What you care about is that the cost and how untrue they look. You may appear legit only by maintaining your auction layout clean and easy, but with the vital particulars.

In addition to this, you have to be certain to always maintain your listings close to the least expensive of the group (for comparable tickets). In case you’ve got front row seats available for $500 and your nearest opponents are all selling exactly the very same chairs for $200, then you are never going to sell yours.

Within this situation, you have to keep your tickets priced no more greater than $200. Even $199.99 is great enough to create your listing stick out on your competitors. Be certain that you always keep on top of your ticket rates.

5) Last but not least, it is crucial in this company to maintain meticulous records of your earnings. The very last thing you need is to be sending Dave Matthews tickets to a person who purchased tickets to see U2. Or sending Row A tickets for somebody who purchased Row Q. You’ll wind up wasting time, wasting money, and wasting the whole sale.

To keep on top of your documents, it is ideal to get an Excel spreadsheet with a column for each and every important element of your company: tickets offered, artist/team, cost sold, date delivered, etc.. This way you will always know where your tickets belong and you’re never going to feel the pain of losing a purchase as a result of inadequate record-keeping.

How do I Start a Ticket Broker Business?

Let’s take a look at the steps you’ll need to take to start a ticket broker business.

Step 1: Gain the Necessary Education

To become a ticket broker, there is no specific degree program or level of required education. However, there are areas of formal undergraduate education that can provide an aspiring ticket broker with a fundamental business background.

Additionally, some employers may prefer applicants with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Studies in marketing and sales will help prepare a ticket broker to create an effective business model for their product, whereas education in finance and advertising will help a future ticket broker better understand the market itself.

Based on these areas of study, and perhaps entrepreneurial classes, a prospective ticket broker may want to consider a bachelor’s degree program in business administration.

Success Tip

Consider an internship. Many undergraduate programs offer internship programs for students to get their foot in the door of the workforce. Internship programs allow you to apply your classroom learning to real-life situations, and the time spent may count towards experience hours when applying for a job.

Step 2: Build Necessary Skills

Over the past decade, the Internet has become increasingly more populated by companies and individuals who broker tickets. As technologies continually change, mainstay ticket sellers lose their edge to the competition because ticket prices directly reflect the demand for specific tickets. This requires ticket brokers to have an understanding of the competition and the ability to learn on the job.

Employers also look for candidates with enhanced decision-making skills, due to the constant fluctuations in the ticket market. Ticket brokers must be able to work with spreadsheets and communicate with other departments within the company. Candidates must be good with numbers, accountable for their own work and capable of reporting their data and decisions to others effectively.

Step 3: Determine Local Laws and Obtain Necessary Licensure

The laws for re-selling tickets vary between states, so it’s important to check specific state regulations. In some states, ticket brokers need to be licensed. Local and federal laws may change at any time, and it is important to keep up-to-date regarding state and local laws, as well as licensure requirements. Maintaining the proper documents, paperwork and licenses are crucial to successful sales.

Step 4: Locate a Job or Start a Business

There are two types of ticket brokering companies: those with a storefront and those run entirely online. Ticket brokers who work for a company with the storefront may have a more traditional job, interacting with people and making sales.

A company that is set up entirely online may have an office location, but has very little, if any, face-to-face contact with its customers. When looking for a ticket brokering job, you should examine the location’s laws regarding the re-sale of tickets and the strengths you possess in communications and computer skills.

Yet another option for a career in ticket brokering is to found a company. Starting a business requires careful planning, capital and an understanding of the current laws and regulations. Louisiana, for instance, only allows the brokering of tickets online, while Arizona and California allow sales to happen away from the venue where the event is to take place.

Step 5: Join a Trade Organization

The nature of re-selling tickets at a profit is accompanied by concern, and sometimes outrage, on the part of legislators and the public. Organizations such as the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) and the United States Ticket Broker Association (USTBA) offer protection and support for ticket brokering companies.

For example, by voluntarily agreeing to the Code of Conduct put forth by the NATB and paying a membership fee, members receive a support system of lawyers and lobbyists, become a part of a trusted network of brokers and can access easier methods of tracking changes to laws and regulations.

Step 6: Build Business

It is vital that ticket brokers present a professional image to the public, so as to receive the most business possible. You can attract potential customers by maintaining a professional website which showcases your credibility. This website might include your business address and a list of involvement with professional organizations, such as the Better Business Bureau.

While no formal education is required to become a ticket broker, you may want to complete a degree in a field related to business or sales. You’ll also need to gain experience in sales.

How Many Ticket Brokers Are There?

Tickets to live events are notoriously underpriced when they go on-sale and it’s for a reason: live events are a business and businesses need to eliminate risk where they can.

There is much more to a concert, festival, or game than the fan sees or even considers. The very basics*

• Securing a venue costs money, whether building, renting or managing. Usually this is done through multiple forms of finance which require cashflows and predictable revenue to pay for expenses and planning
• Live events make money through X major channels: Sponsorship, Premium Seating, Parking, Concessions, Merchandise, and Tickets. Yes the tickets are the most important to the fans and, sometimes, to the performers, they are only a fraction of the actual event
• Locking up predictable revenue early helps the content provider eliminate risk. Sell all the tickets and lock up the revenue in advance. To do this, tickets are priced below market to sell quickly.

*An entire book could be written detailing all those involved. These are the basics.

Who Gets The Tickets:

Once the event is a reality, the negotiations begin as to who has access to what tickets long before on-sale. Tickets are silo’d based on contractual obligations. Where they most commonly go:

• Contracted pre-sale: Many sponsors and seat license holders, as part of buying a product and paying for it upfront, get access to tickets before the general public. Some are sponsors of the venue or team while others are sponsors of the event, league, or tour.
• Sponsorship deals: Major sponsors get tickets in advance as part of their agreements. Brands sponsor tours and get ticket allotments. Common sponsors include the major payment providers, such as American Express and MasterCard, who negotiate a block of tickets for their cardholders as part of their sponsorship deals, and brands looking to connect to the fan base of an act or team, like Salesforce with U2 and Xfinity with Taylor Swift.
• Fan Clubs: The performer will usually negotiate a block of tickets for their die-hard fans and distribute them through Fan Clubs
• The Content: Tickets are always held back for the players, coaches, performers, managers, promoters, and insiders. Usually, they are some of the best tickets.

Who are the players involved:

• Content Providers: Teams, Venue Operators, Promoters
• The Content: Artists, Players, Agents, Managers and their family members
• Brokers: When demand overpowers supply, prices rise and capitalists* surface looking to benefit from the delta. It’s the simplest business equation there is: find underpriced assets and sell them for a large profit. From this simple premise dawned a $10+ billion dollar industry employing tens of thousands which gives the common fan very little chance of getting great tickets Say what you want about ticket brokers, but we’ve met with billionaires, millionaires, tech entrepreneurs, and titans of all business in our 10+ years with StubHub and InviteManager, and some of the most savvy and intelligent people we’ve met are ticket brokers. They may not enjoy a great reputation, but they are not to be underestimated.

Can You Make Money Selling NBA Tickets?

When you buy NBA season tickets you pay a set price per seat, which averages out equally over the course of the home games of the season. For example, if you buy a package for seats that are $800, over 44 games (our number of home games, including preseason) you’re paying $18.18 per seat, per game.

However, that base price is not the face value of the tickets for each game. In fact, the value per seat, per game is almost always higher than what you pay as a season ticket holder. Thus, when you resell the tickets the money you receive is more than what you paid for them.

While most games will only make you a small profit ($5-$10 a seat), the most popular games can haul in some major moolah.

For example, the cost of my seats average out to about $19.60 per seat, per game. But a few years back when the champion Golden State Warriors came to town seats in my section would go for over $100 a ticket!

If I sell my seats for $100 a ticket, that’s a profit of $80.40 per seat for that one game!

As you can see, reselling tickets can turn a nice profit, and the discrepancy between what you pay for seats and what you sell them for means you can still keep a decent number of games for yourself for free!

What is a Licensed Ticket Broker?

In some regions, the ticket trade is regulated, and it may be necessary to have a license to work as a ticket broker. It is advisable to research regional licensing to learn about any requirements that might be involved, in order to prepare adequately.

Georgia law prohibits any person from engaging in the practice or business of a ticket broker if that person has been convicted of a felony and has not had his or her rights restored. A criminal background check must be conducted on each applicant for a new or renewed license, and the results of that check must be submitted to the Commission.

Georgia law requires that register with the Georgia Department of Revenue for sales and use tax purposes pursuant to Article 1 of Chapter 8 of Title 48, Official Code of Georgia Annotated, prior to obtaining a ticket broker’s license. Virtually all registrations with the Internal Revenue Service as well as with the Georgia Department of Revenue now can be completed electronically.

Any Internet-based ticket broker business which offers for sale tickets to events held in Georgia must have either a license issued by the Georgia Athletic & Entertainment Commission or must discontinue advertising the availability of tickets for events held in Georgia.

What is a Scalper Ticket?

Scalping in its modern iteration, also known as bulk or automated buying, is a threat to eCommerce and ticketing websites selling sought-after products and services. Scalpers are bad actors who purchase tickets or product units using scalable methods that are not available to ordinary users. Ticket bots are automated software used to purchase tickets in bulk.

In most markets, over 40% of all online ticket booking is now done by automated software, in order to be resold later, despite laws being passed specifically to tackle the situation. This makes scalping, and specifically bot-driven scalping, a major concern for sellers.

How Automated Scalping Attacks Work

Scalpers use ticket bots to attack websites in three stages:

1. Monitoring target websites and creating accounts—also known as drop checking or spinning, scalpers use bots to constantly probe retailer websites, event sites and even Twitter and other social media feeds, to identify interesting new launches. In parallel scalpers use bots to automatically create fake accounts, or .
2. Add to cart—the scalper bots need to be the first to add the desired item to the shopping cart. To be able to make multiple purchases without being detected blocked, scalper bots need to bypass safety controls like inventory limitations, Captchas, and more. They generally rely on residential proxy networks so each request comes from a completely different, legitimate IP address. Advanced operators shave additional milliseconds from the acquisition process, by distributing servers, placing them nearer to retailer or event websites to minimize latency.
3. Automated checkout—finally, scalper bots automate the actual purchase. They log in to create new accounts, or input all the required information to use a guest account, and input payment via a rotating list of credit cards. To avoid detection, they use different billing profiles for each purchase, and blend credentials, names and address formats.

Why is Ticket Scalping Illegal?

Laws about ticket scalping vary by state, and there is no federal law that prohibits the practice. Approximately 16 of the 50 states have a law that makes scalping illegal. Seven states — Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania — require a special license to resell tickets. Four states — North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio and Virginia — leave the issue up to local municipalities.

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When ticket scalping laws are broken, consequences are often not enforced. As with crime in general, police officers handle the offense according to severity. Scalping is a nonviolent crime without a victim — in fact, it is a crime where both parties are agreeable to the transaction. Therefore, cops are often hesitant to get involved.

In addition to state laws, other laws make scalping illegal in raceways and the NFL. Those who can enforce the law at races or football games include box office personnel, supervisors, venue managers, ticket agents, security agents, event promoters and seat holders.

At other events, reselling tickets is not illegal, but it’s not permitted on stadium grounds. This is why scalping often occurs in close proximity to events, such as concerts or baseball games, but not within the grounds or stadium.

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