Sports and entertainment are a multibillion dollar industry in New York. But the consumer rights of the fans who support that business are too often violated. The culprits include teams, entertainers, promoters and even tax-supported venues.
We just renewed the 2007 state law that bans paperless-only events, unless the event also offers a transferrable paper ticket to protect fans' rights to control the tickets they bought.
Still, consumers and taxpayers alike need more protection. State Sen. James Sanders, D-Queens, and I have introduced a bill to end a "temporary" property tax exemption that Madison Square Garden's owners have exploited. Their $16 million annual tax break has deprived New Yorkers of more than $350 million over 31 years. That money that should have supported communities.
Garden owners profit from a system that denies fans a transparent, open market for tickets. Whether it's Yankee Stadium or a concert hall, we need to level the playing field.
A transparency bill introduced by Assemblyman Charles Lavine, D-Nassau County, would require online posting of how many tickets are available when they go on sale, and how many are held back before fans get a chance to buy them.
The state law to cover will-call only events, where you use the purchasing credit card for entry, needs to be extended, too. Since there is no ticket, promoters argue this is legal, but it clearly violates the law's spirit.
I have also proposed a measure to restrict taxpayer-subsidized facilities from pocketing fees on top of the face value of tickets.
Consumers have a right to buy and control tickets bought with our own money, including transferring them on a willing-buyer, willing-seller basis.
David Weprin is a Democratic assemblyman from Queens.