As the SEC Men’s basketball tournament continues at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee lawmakers have considered a new bill that would crack down on the production and sale of counterfeit tickets.
Rep. Susan Lynn, a Republican from Mt. Juliet, has sponsored the Fans Anti-Counterfeit Ticket or FACT Act to help address the growing problem. The bill would require ticket brokers to register with the Department of Commerce and Insurance, and would require certain disclosures by ticket brokers and requirements with regard to the resale of tickets.
“If you want to buy from a reputable source, you will know they are registered and can check who they are,” said Rep. Lynn. “This will protect consumers.”
Fans who show up to the SEC basketball tournament with counterfeit tickets will be turned away at the door.
Officials at Bridgestone Arena acknowledge counterfeit tickets are becoming more common and have been an issue at the tournament each year.
“Anytime there is a large event with a lot of demand for tickets, some folks do get taken advantage of,” said David Kells, Senior Vice-President of Booking for Bridgestone Arena and the Nashville Predators.
Kells recommended fans only buy tickets for the SEC tournament through the SEC, a SEC university or from the Bridgestone Arena box office.
Some fans said they don’t take any chances when buying tickets.
“You have to buy them from the SEC or your school,” said one loyal Kentucky fan who has attended the SEC basketball tournament for the last 10 years. “If you don’t, you will run into problems.”
As of Thursday, Metro Police had not received any reports of counterfeit tickets at the tournament.
