Ticket Brokers Deserve a Legal Slap

Many University of Wisconsin football fans who paid dearly to attend today’s Rose Bowl game will watch it on television because ticket brokers ripped them off. They are justifiably angry--and that should lead to stricter regulation of an industry that all too often exploits sports fans and concert-goers.

Wisconsin hasn’t been to the big game in Pasadena for 31 years. That long hiatus translated into a huge demand for tickets that was badly underestimated by agencies that purchase then resell tickets to entertainment events. Although many of them advertised tickets for sale and took money from eager customers, they wound up falling short when not enough tickets were available. The agencies must refund the money, of course, but nevertheless the result is unhappy visitors to a state that is trying mightily to revive tourism. California must not let such irresponsible business practices go unpunished.

Ticket brokers have so far escaped stronger regulation by the Legislature by arguing that they resell luxuries, not necessities like food or shelter. But this latest outrage is a black eye for all California businesses, so Sacramento must revisit the ticket-brokering issue.

How about at least making any broker who violates a contract to provide a ticket pay both his customer and the state a hefty penalty for every ticket not delivered? That won’t stop brokers from charging outrageous markups, but it may prevent them from making promises they can’t keep, thereby smudging the state’s business reputation.