Industry News

Worries over standard of fake Super Bowl tickets

Concerns about the increasing quality of counterfeit tickets have been raised after fans were left unable to gain entry to last night’s Super Bowl in Minneapolis.

USA Today Sports ran a feature following an interview with a distraught father and son who purchased a total of four fake tickets from Craigslist, the American classified advertisements website.

The first pair cost $2,800 (£1,989/€2.247), while the second pair was bought after kick off for $1,500.

USA TODAY Sports said the tickets all appeared to include some safeguards the NFL has added over the years, including holograms.

“Best ‘Binkers’ (fake tickets) I have seen in years,” John McFarlane, a ticket broker and founder of Dallas-based JMAC Tickets, told USA TODAY Sports after reviewing images of the fraudulent tickets.

The NFL said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports last week: “We reiterate that fans should purchase tickets only from reliable sources, like the NFL Ticket Exchange, On Location Experiences, and other established ticket retailers.”

The defrauded fan, Chris DiSimone, a supporter of the eventual winners the Philadelphia Eagles, said he even gave the second person he purchased tickets from an extra $100 “for going out of his way to find us.”

“This is the second time this has happened at the same Super Bowl,” DiSimone said. “I feel really bad for my son.”

The Super Bowl was played between the Eagles and the 2017 champions the New England Patriots. The score ended 41-33 in Minneapolis in favour of the Pennsylvania team, marking their first time lifting the trophy.

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