British Officials Aren’t About to Fine Ticket Scalpers for Making Huge Profit

British government officials have rejected a demand that penalties be placed on ticket scalpers, who are reportedly selling Wimbledon tennis championship tickets at more than 3,500% of face value.

One Conservative parliamentarian even praised the scalpers for practicing “market economics,” the backbone of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s economic policies.

Scalpers are reportedly selling $44.25 tickets for the final match at Wimbledon for $1,590.

“If the upper-class twits who run the All-England Lawn Tennis Assn. sell their tickets at below the market prices, they can hardly grumble,” said parliamentarian Theresa Gorman in a radio interview. “All the people who we insult by calling them touts are setting up a market.”

Earlier, in the House of Commons, Sports Minister Colin Moynihan turned down a request from a spokesman of the Social and Liberal Democrat Party for a measure that would enable ticket scalpers to be fined up to $17,700. Moynihan said it was up to sports organizers and others, such as theater managements, to put their own house in order.

During the tournament, there have been 25 scalpers arrested in the vicinity of the Wimbledon grass courts in southwest London. Ticket scalping is not illegal, and the scalpers were charged only with obstructing the highway. Each was fined $88.50.