TALLAHASSEE -- Keith "Big Nasty" Kunzig would never scalp a ticket.

The die-hard Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, who covers himself in red and black face paint to attend games, understands why people might want a few extra dollars, but he is offended by ticket holders who greatly overcharge those without.

"You're not going to stop people from doing that, though," he said.

A bill floating through the Florida House and Senate aims to make it legal for fans to make more money selling tickets for sporting events, concerts and plays. The seller also could unload tickets online for as much as he or she wants.

Online or not, Florida residents selling tickets for more than $1 above face value for a state event can be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail, a $500 fine or both.

If the bill passes, someone reselling a ticket could charge up to 25 percent more than face value.

One of the bill's sponsors is Rep. John Stargel, R-Lakeland. "If you've got a willing buyer and a willing seller, I think this is as close to a victimless crime as it comes," he said. "All the law does is make criminals out of everyday citizens."

Rep. Marcelo Llorente, R-Miami, is co-sponsoring the bill in the House.

Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, is expected to revise a similar bill in the Senate to make it a companion bill, Stargel said.

Bill opponents such as Lionel Dubay, president of the Florida Facility Managers Association, say it legalizes and encourages scalping. He agrees that limiting ticket resellers to $1 profit might be antiquated, but he's concerned that lifting price controls from Web site ticket resales could hurt fans and facilities.

Tampa police Sgt. Bill Todd, who leads a team working to prevent scalping, would not comment on pending legislation. He did say that police often seize stolen or forged tickets during scalping arrests.

Police arrest anywhere from zero to dozens of scalpers at each Bucs game, he said, depending on the quality of the matchup and the Bucs' record.

Scalping also is an issue for the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team and major concerts, he said.

Online sales Web sites such as StubHub.com, an online ticket resale service, may benefit most from the bill.

People sell tickets on StubHub for large profits, with the site receiving a percentage of the transaction from the buyer and seller. Florida residents who make more than $1 for More>>>

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