COLUMBIA - Ticket-scalping, within limits, could become legal under a bill passed by the House last week that was sponsored by all seven of Horry County's House members.

Rep. Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, said the reason the Horry County delegation got involved in the issue is because he was asked to by representatives of some entertainment and athletic venues in the state.

He said they thought that because the Myrtle Beach area has so many such venues, such as the House of Blues and The Alabama Theatre, that he would help. Clemmons said the delegation was willing.

Sen. Luke Rankin, R-Myrtle Beach, introduced the same bill in the Senate, but it has not been acted on. The Senate could use the House bill.

Scalping is illegal in South Carolina and so is buying scalped tickets. Anyone who wants to resell a ticket to an entertainment or sporting event can charge no more than a dollar more than face value.

Yet the tickets, including counterfeit tickets, are being sold on eBay and similar outlets, Clemmons said. If the ticket is fake or isn't the seat the buyer thought he or she was getting, the venue gets the blame.

The bill allows the venues to authorize resale of unusued tickets.

That way the theaters and arenas know which tickets are available and that they are real, and so do the customers.

The venues can collect a 20 percent service charge on the resales.

"It takes the fraud out of the system," Clemmons said.

About half the states have adopted a similar system, he said.

The measure passed in the House on a voice vote, but not before a brief, sharp exchange with one member.

"I used to do this for a living before it became illegal," said Rep. Skipper Perry, R-Aiken. He said one group should not be allowed to scalp tickets if others can't.

"Why are we giving a special privilege to people who have already made that money off the ticket?" Perry asked Clemmons during the debate. More>>>

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