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Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com
Steve Wynn.
Published Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 | 5:31 p.m.
Updated Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 | 5:37 p.m.
Usually Steve Wynn makes the news, but on rare occasions, we can bring the news to him. And during a phone conversation today, he listened for as long as he could tolerate to a reading of the National Association of Ticket Brokers statement charging that he was restricting the open market in his pursuit of brokers scalping Garth Brooks tickets.
At about the point where NATB General Counsel Gary Adler is quoted as saying, “It’s only going to hurt the fans who can’t find tickets, or are stuck with ones they can’t use,” Wynn had heard enough.
“They say they are representing the fans?” he said with a quick laugh. “Well, Garth Brooks and I don’t think so. I wonder if he (Adler) believes he’s helping the fans when he’s talking to himself in the mirror. Scalpers were selling tickets online for $700 the day of sale. Garth wants to protect his fans, and I’m with him. We don’t want them exploited. The price is $125, and nobody but us and Garth Brooks are going to make money.
“I’m jousting with ticket brokers. They are not going to sell them at a profit. Tough (stuff).”
Wynn also said he didn't realize there was a national organization representing ticket brokers, saying "news to me" when the NATB was described to him.
At one point, Wynn even roped in his legal counsel Kevin Tourek on a conference call so Tourek could read the Clark County ordinance aloud, seeming to relish the illegality of the scalpers’ practices.
“It’s not legal, and anyone who thinks this is legal is wrong,” Wynn said. “They are guilty of a misdemeanor if they do this.”
Wynn says he has been fighting scalpers since the early days of Siegfried & Roy’s performances at The Mirage. “We’ve been at this since the early ’90s, when fans were coming to us complaining about having to pay far above face value for Siegfried & Roy, and we proposed a (Clark County) ordinance to help us in trying to bring down these predatory practices,” Wynn said. “I’m not trying to bring down brokers who charge 10 or 20 percent (above face value) and are actually providing a service. We’re talking about people who try to sell these tickets at $700 apiece.”
Wynn said he’d spoken to Brooks directly on Monday about what’s happening with tickets. "Garth is fanatic about protecting his fans. Fanatic. It took me all summer to get him to agree to this ($125) ticket price.”
Wynn closed his pointed response by saying, “If you try to enter with a scalped ticket, you will be denied. If you have a ticket you want sold back to the hotel, we’ll take it back at face value. You won’t be stuck with it. But we’re going to stop these predators, believe me.”
Follow John Katsilometes on Twitter at twitter.com/JohnnyKats.
wynn=crybaby
Brilliant!
You're going to inform a bunch of cow-kickers that traveled thousands of miles while paying hundreds over face they're being refused admittance because you don't want to see them exploited?
You may first want to run that plan through a PR department not indulging in the same type of medications before implementing -- partner.
Better yet, why don't you turn the keys to the shop over to the X and go campaign for county scalp hound?
Just imagine the benefits of finally being able to donate to your own campaign for once.
: )
Never mind that Wynn has scalped 15% of the tickets to his high rollers-isn't that 'scalping' tickets?? If you can afford to drop a few thousand dollars at Wynn, then you can get some tickets-the best tickets in the house.
Of course that is something entirely different right?
Nevermind the outrageous $18 in fee's per ticket Wynn is charging.
It is called double standards Mr Wynn and double standards to Mr "I will never charge more than $25 for my tickets" Brooks. You are both selling for profit!
Wynn wants to be the only one that makes money on the ticket sales. Go figure.
You have no idea how much I'd like to see this arrogant a-hole go bankrupt.
WHAT WYNN IS REALLY UPSET ABOUT IS THAT HE NOW REALIZES THAT HE COULD HAVE JACKED THE TICKET PRICES UP LIKE THE BROKERS AND MADE MORE MONEY.
LITTLE STEVIE HATES TO SEE A BUCK FLY BY HIS POCKETS.
There is a way for Wynn to control these prices and thats to have them picked up at the door. Or have them bought through the Restraunt and Show Reservations dept, and limit the number of tickets sold. He has many avenues to pursue.
Its like I said earlier - Wynn isn't trying to protect the fans, they're trying to protect Wynn's "official" scalpers - the ones who probably kick back some of the scalped proceeds to the Wynn. "Real fans" are a red herring here.
Remember folks, its only OK when the rich, connected and powerful do it to get even richer. If you want to scalp tickets to pay for groceries this month in this tough economy, "tough (stuff)".
Could they have posted the picture any larger? He's up there like Babe Ruth calling his shot.
"Jousting" with brokers or scalpers doesn't bother me, I'm no fan of them. BUT, for someone who lambastes President Obama for supposed "socialism", what the heck do you call what Wynn did, getting Clark County to pass an anti-scalping ordinance just for him?? So much for the free-market when it doesn't suit him.
Dinner for 2 at SW Steakhouse - $375
Shopping at an exclusive store at Wynn Resort - $1000
Le Reve and a visit to XS ultra club w/ bottle service - $2000
Actually thinking Steve Wynn cares about the "fans" getting ripped off by scalpers - PRICELESS
Had dinner at the Switch on monday night and there was Steve Checking out his place right at the front table where we walked in, impresive. This guy pays attention and Vegas is lucky to have him ,most would be hiding behind a PR office.
This guy putts his kohonas on the line and you want to beat the snot out of him. He has the right to get all the money customers will pay for the tickets ,his show his risk his reward. I hope he figures out how to beat this as in my opinion it would be good for Vegas to bring all prices down and get those rooms filled. Go Steve Go Or... maybe Obama should determine the price.
Don't want fans exploited?
What a hypocrite
Mr. Wynn, the ultimate predator, has become wealthy by exploiting suckers and sick, addicted gamblers. He had the audacity to say, ""we're going to stop these predators, believe me."
Steve Wynn calling someone else a predator. Hilarious.
When you are making money like Wynn is, in the short term you can give the big FU to your customers. Particularly humorous is the passage "Wynn also said he didn't realize there was a national organization representing ticket brokers, saying "news to me" " considering that the NATB organization has had its annual national meeting in his hotel for years. Sooner rather than later in this five year run Wynn and Garth will be begging brokers to take tickets off their hands. History does not repeat, but it sure does rhyme.
So the crime-fighting duo of Brooks and Wynn has decided to place these unusual restrictions on who can and cannot attend these shows. Their stated mission is to ensure that only the fans may purchase tickets at the face value and others, who may be willing and able to pay a premium on the open market, may not. They are requiring those who bought tickets from the hotel box office to provide the names of all attendees, months in advance, or run the risk of having their tickets canceled, at the sole discretion of Wynn Las Vegas management, if it is suspected that any of the tickets have been transferred to someone other than the purchaser.
Why stop there? Fresh from their crushing defeat of evil ticket brokers, maybe tomorrow they'll decide that Garth's true fans are mostly Caucasian, heterosexual, natural-born Americans. In an effort to weed out the undesirables, the hotel management will begin calling ticket holders to inform them that they will need to also present birth certificates to prove citizenship and race as well as a marriage license proving they have been legally married to someone of the opposite sex for at least one year.
How hypocritical are these guys? Brooks has built a lucrative career around the American flag and the freedoms it represents. Wynn has made billions providing luxuries for people who are willing and able to pay top dollar for the best money can buy. Now they have decided to take whatever measures necessary to severely restrict a ticket holder's freedom to resell his tickets for a profit. What a joke!
Maybe, all the people who bought tickets for the first show could show Mr. Wynn their contempt by returning them ALL on the night of the show. That would send a message to him that maybe he should re-think his ideas.
By the way Stevie, I am patiently awaiting the day that China nationalizes Macau and kicks you and Sheldon's A$$es out of their country. Won't that be a day of days. That's something I'd pay a scalper to see.
Why is everyone so mean. I believe Mr. Brooks is trying to do a great thing here. He loves his fans. Everyone should just be patient until all of this is figured out.
From a true libertarian standpoint, speculation is an important part of Capitalism. There were 3 people speculating for every 1 miner during most Gold Rushes.
This freak is all over the map. Go on fox news, talk free market, then back Reid. Knock the government, then get the government to shag down your gamblers that didn't pay their markers.
Bring in the Dough-boy, then complain about "ticket speculators."
I hope his ex-wife cleans him out in divorce proceedings.
And quite stealing your employees tips!
TR, I really think you have your head in the sand on this one. This man Wynn, he may have been a creative mind back in the day. But today, he's just another greedy man doing all he can to collect All the $$$$$. If you truly think he's trying to help the fans, your just fooling yourself.
By the way, for all the fans of Garth, what happened to that statement he made that he would never make his fans pay more than $25.00? $125.00 is a BIG jump from that. I bet old Stevie saw him coming and turned on that charm and blew him out of the water with his spiel.
Just remember Steve, what goes around, comes around........... That said, we are just waiting for China to nationalize Macau. Let the fireworks begin.
hmmmm....
Steve Wynn said early Oct 2009
"Government has never increased the standard of living of one single human being in civilization's history."
And today Steve Wynn says, "We've been at this since the early '90s, when fans were coming to us complaining about having to pay far above face value for Siegfried & Roy, and we proposed a (Clark County) ordinance to help us in trying to bring down these predatory practices."
As I say --- hmmmmm.
The most I ever paid for a ticket was $70 to see Riverdance at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood in 1997. Oh yeah, I did pay $90 to see Seigfried and Roy in 1989 at the Mirage and I wanted my money back. I feel privileged to have heard the Juilliard Quartet and the Guarneri Quartet in the 1970's when they were at the height of their abilities. (Nobody was scalping their tickets. lol)
Tigermike, Wynn is not charging $18.00 in fees. The "fee" is $5.00. (I'm all for him raising the price by $5.00 with no "fee"). The other $13.00 is taxes. So maybe your "outrageous fee" complaint should go to the government agency which collects the taxes. People need to refuse to do business with scalpers. Stick them with enough high priced unsold tickets and they might try a legitimate profession. There is something wrong when you can't get a ticket to see a show because these so-called "brokers" manage to buy up most of the tickets and price the true fans out of the market. Steve Wynn may be very rich, but that does not make him bad, and he IS looking out for common folks like me. We plan on taking in a Garth show once the initial hype is over, and we can actually buy tickets from Wynn at face value.
Stunning. Why don't folks ever get this up in arms over other items that are sold at market prices - real estate, stocks, food, gold, HOTELS!! If you attempted to book a hotel room at the Wynn right now on their web site, you would experience dyanmic, market based pricing, based on the time of year and day of week (saturdays cost more than Tuesdays). If we apply the same argument, shouldn't there be a face value for hotel prices, accompanied by hotel scalping laws? Why folks feel entitled to purchase entertainment tickets at a capped price is beyond me, when so many other basic human needs (food, shelter) are freely sold at market prices. Shouldn't it be the other way around?
@phillg - Kohonas? Seriously? If you can't spell the language just use "balls"
You know, the problem here is that some other entity other than Steve Wynn has a foothold in Vegas. Mr. Wynn, ticket brokers have been around as long as the El Rancho and the Thunderbird Hotel-Casino. I am amazed that Mr. Garth Brooks would sign a contracct with you to play in your arena as though he was performing at the longstanding Nationals of the Rodeo Association.
Ok Sassy , thanks for the correction Balls it is. Hotelbroker isnt the point that the guy that puts his Balls on the line should be entitled to receive all the uptick. Why should some one profit from another mans work.If Wynn can figure out how to keep it all good for him. Last time I was at Wynns there were thousands working (not at gunpoint I might add)
Sassyfrolet : Please stop making me laugh LOL!!! you are very funny!!!
I think he melted down when his wife supported Obama and he back Sen John Insane, I mean McCain.
Was he on the Cain Mutiny with Bogart, Fred McMurray and the little steel balls? Where are those frozen strawberries.
Wynn is not a solution to Vegas's problem, he's part of it. He's so afraid he's about to lose his behind he's coming unhinged and blaming everybody except the past administration who covered his behind with tax cuts to the wealthy. Now the depression Bush & Cheney put the entire country in is trickling down to him.
He's nothing but a right wing tool,...and so to help save himself he brings in no talent Brooks but whines about others who might scalp some tickets,...taking money out of Stevie's pocket.
Bring me a shovel.
I think Wynn is right and we should apply it to things that actually matter. The Federal Government should require Oil Companies to give them the names of the people/companies that buy all oil/gas contracts. This will stop the scalping of contracts (yes thats what they call it on the board of trade/wallstreet) and move gas prices back to the range of 99 cents. Then the Federal Govt. should back tax Wynn and his boyfriend over at Venetian for all the the drug money they win and or launder from the Mexican Cartels. Wynn is a pimp nothing more and nothing less..
All you complainers are missing the point. The problem isn't some one wanting to sell their extra tickets, the problem is when a genuine FAN can't buy a ticket, because they have all been bought up by scumbag scalpers! When you try to buy a ticket 5 hours after it went on sale, and its sold out, and you look on Ebay and someone from Atlanta is already selling a pair for $1000, yea, I have a HUGE problem with it. I applaud Mr. Wynn for his attempts to make it right. My suggestion is when the tickets are purchased, require the names of the persons attending the event. If they can't go, the hotel will take it back and give you a refund. It will come to this. This is Las Vegas, and It's his Casino/Theater, Mr. Wynn can do what ever he wants! Hats off to Wynn and Garth Brooks. Garth has tried to help his fans for years afford tickets. His last tour tickets were $25. Period. Any seat in the house. GO GARTH!
Edbap is right. Most of you just hate Wynn, thats obvious from the posts. Scalpers steal tickets that could have been bought at the regular ticket price. Wynn is being reasonable in helping the regular public.
There is no open market on tickets. Selling them at more than the posted price is generally illiegal. I know TickerMaster does it but of course they are in some trouble for doing that. If you want a legitimate target for high ticket prices target TicketMaster.
Wynn has done a lot for this city. We should all thank him. If not for him, this town would have died years ago.
If I was Steve Wynn-I would actually HOPE the Garth Brooks tickets were scalped. People who buy scalped tickets usually have very deep pockets. After the show lets out-these people are likely to gamble more money in the Casino then a person who simply pays face value for a ticket. Steve Wynn should let Garth Brooks do his show & not get involved in the ticket situation.
the town is officially dead
I like Steve Wynn. But he needs to let the market decide the price of the tickets in the same way that the market allows him to get $200-$400 for a standard hotel room, $9 for a drink and $10 for a ham sandwich at the race book. He mispriced the Garth Brooks tickets on the low end and it must be painful for him to see the brokers have a more efficent system. I understand how he does not want these middle men making money when they don't own the venue and are not associated with the band. The only solution is for Wynn to learn from this and raise the ticket prices next time.
No, you still don't get it. If ticket prices were not controlled, such as $200+ for lower level seats, there would be NO Garth Brooks show! Garth would not participate. Thank you Mr. Wynn, and Thank you Garth Brooks, for setting this up, giving the public a chance to see a very special show, and trying to keep it simple so the real fans can attend. Hats off to you both. IF the "High Rollers" really want to attend, all they have to do is talk to the Casino People, and if they are really "High Rollers", I'm sure they will be taken care of.
I understand Wynn's sentiments though maybe free market should reign. I once paid a scalper $250 for two seats front row to enjoy James Taylor in a small venue. A sweet memory. BTW, what happened? Is Steve trying to emulate Wildenstein http://www.bettybowers.com/graphics/joyc...
Whoa! What the hell is with the Wynn hating here? I'm going to have to agree with 'edbap' and 'Brianlv' here. You guys are totally missing the point. Everyone should be able to go to the box office and pick up a ticket, not find tickets at skyrocketted prices on EBay 5 hours after the damn show is announced, and subsequently sold out.
The 'brokers' are in no way helpful to the average Joe who may want a ticket, if all they do is buy tickets en masse and then charge Joe Public exorbatent rates. What are you guys smoking?
I was just there last weekend and payed $119 for 2nd row for Le Reve. No scalper crap, nothing dodgy, just straight through the conceirge at The Paris. Nothing odd about it, so what if there's a $15 dollar fee attached? ::rolls eyes::