Scalpers* autocorrect kills me

Scalping is not speculation. Scalping is arbitrage. Both the scalper and the scalpee are better off because of the transaction.

The only problem with speculation is when the risk isn't assumed by the person speculating. My biggest opposition to the bailouts is that it bailed out the wrong parties.

Lol BO still dodges the question of the day. What happened to the trillions in stimulus. Quantitative easing has failed by all accounts.

BO you are a neophyte.

"Both the scalper and the scalpee"

More than two parties are involved. The guy who wanted to take his kids to the Texan game but can't afford 300% marked up tickets because some asshole has an auto-buy bot..that guy loses. The guy who can afford it? He works harder to be able to buy more tickets at inflated rates driving up prices and edging out more consumers...eventually it reaches an equilibrium and there is exactly the same number of people who want to go to the game as can afford it. Ah the free market. Great way of clearing out the riff-raff if you ask me, or at least a way to get them into the nosebleeds where they belong.

"buying more tickets at inflated rates"

price below free market equilibrium is not "inflated".

If NFL doesn't want side transactions, it should ask for ID's for people given the tickets and check at the gates. Just as the colleges do with student tickets.

"The only problem with speculation is when the risk isn't assumed by the person speculating."

Only problem?
How about that the speculative buyers don't produce, supply, transport, distribute or consume the product they are speculating on?
How about speculation adds no use-value to the product?
How about that most markets driven significantly by speculation aren't accessible to the vast majority of consumers?
How about when market speculators work together to drive up prices and then short-sell right after telling others the assets weren't overvalued?

Speculation adds use-value to the counterparty because removal of risk has use-value.

"NFL ... should ask for ID's for people given the tickets and check at the gates. Just as the colleges do with student tickets."

I agree but this would at least double park entrance times.

I don't really know how to respond to your criticism of my use of the word "inflated" since, well, inflated means enlarged, puffed up or expanded...and I don't really see how the context of free market equilibrium would change the definition of the word.