UAE website black-marketing Indian Premier League tickets: Reports
Tickets for the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League are selling like hotcakes with the tournament scheduled to commence from April 16 in the United Arab Emirates.
- Press Trust of India
- Updated: April 09, 2014 07:43 PM IST
Indian Premier League tickets for the first leg of the tournament to be held in the United Arab Emirates are being black marketed with a website cashing in on its popularity by selling the tickets at overpriced rates, according to media reports. (Read: Organisers sell 40,000 tickets for UAE matches)
Tickets with a value of 80 Dirhams (Rs 1308) are being sold for as much as 1,500 Dirhams (Rs 24,527) through a website in the UAE. (Read: Why is UAE an Indian Premier League venue, asks Sports Ministry)
The tickets are selling like hotcakes with the seventh edition of the IPL scheduled to commence from April 16. However, an official from the Department of Economic Development (DED) has warned that scalping of the tickets is illegal.
"As it is anywhere in the world, buying tickets in bulk and selling them at three or four times higher than the original price is illegal. It is illegal to buy a large quantity of tickets online, so people tend to use false names," said the official.
A 'Gulf News' report claimed that a Platinum ticket priced at 250 Dirhams (Rs 4085) for the double-header on the April 19 in Dubai (Royal Challengers Bangalore versus Mumbai Indians followed by Kolkata Knight Riders versus Delhi Daredevils) was sold at 750 Dirhams (Rs 12,255).
Meanwhile, the 1,00,000th ticket for the UAE games was sold yesterday, according to a BCCI press release.
The first part of the seventh edition of the IPL has been shifted to the UAE in the wake of general elections in India.
The UAE leg will host the first 20 matches from April 16 to 30, while the remaining 40 will be hosted by India from May 2.
The final will be played on June 1.