Hong Kong Masters snooker tickets flood black market, high-end seats snapped up by touts after going on official sale
- Snooker chiefs fear most expensive tickets for October event have ended up in hands of scalpers after going on sale on Wednesday
- Many users could not access official vendor URBTIX’s online system for hours, with HKBSCC chairman Vincent Law Wing-chung feeling ‘highly suspicious’
Tickets for the 2022 Hong Kong Masters were in huge demand after going on sale on Wednesday morning, with top-tier seats selling out in two hours – but snooker chiefs fear they may have ended up in the hands of scalpers.
World champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has been announced as the headline attraction of the four-day tournament, which is set to get under way on October 6 at the 8,000-capacity Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom.
More tickets have seemingly been snapped up by touts after the Leisure and Cultural Services Department put them up for official sale on its online URBTIX platform.
“It took me so long to get into the system this morning – many of the people we know can’t get in,” said Vincent Law Wing-chung, the chairman of the Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council (HKBSCC). “After a few hours, when some of us were finally able to log in, all the expensive tickets were sold out.
“Then we saw messages outside about offers of ‘black market’ tickets. It is highly suspicious why those people will be able to sell so many nice tickets.”
A total of 28,600 tickets – around 7,100 per day – will be made available to the general public.
According to URBTIX, all high and middle-priced tickets – with prices ranging from HK$280 to HK$580 – were sold out before 6pm on Wednesday. Only some lower-priced tickets remain, with prices ranging from HK$100 to HK$130.
The most expensive tickets on the black market come from the second day of the event, with one of the highlighted matches – Britain’s O’Sullivan versus local star Ng On-yee – selling at HK$1,850, nearly four times the official price of HK$450.
Hong Kong Masters snooker tickets hit black market as officials warn fans
Some fans took to the HKBSCC’s Facebook page to complain about the ticket-buying process for the Masters.
“I believed it was easier to buy tickets for the snooker than for Mirror, a local boy band, and found out it was the same,” wrote one user.
A maximum of four tickets from the same date can be bought per purchase per person on the first day of ticket sales, with a maximum of six from the same date per purchase from the second day onwards.
The quarter final line-up for the star-studded exhibition will include O’Sullivan versus Ng, along with home favourite Marco Fu Ka-chun versus Mark Selby, Zhao Xintong of China versus Neil Robertson, and Judd Trump versus John Higgins.
The competition will be run in a “closed loop” system, with overseas athletes and officials restricted to their hotel and the venue.
