Question 1

What is the "Stampede Ticket Scalping and Counterfeit Sales" scam in Calgary?

Accepted Answer

During the 10-day Calgary Stampede in July, scalpers outside the Stampede grounds sell tickets at 2-5x face value, and a portion are sophisticated counterfeits with copied barcodes. Counterfeit tickets scan as already used at the gate and neither the Calgary Stampede nor the scalper provides any recourse. This is among the most common tourist financial crimes reported in Calgary annually. Buy all Calgary Stampede tickets exclusively through the official Stampede website (calgarystampede.com) or from the BMO Centre box office. The Stampede mobile ticket system makes counterfeiting more difficult — use mobile transfers only. Any ticket purchased from a person outside the gates should be considered high-risk.

Question 2

What is the "Rigged Midway Carnival Games" scam in Calgary?

Accepted Answer

A subset of midway carnival game operators at the Stampede grounds operate games with physics designed to make winning practically impossible — ring tosses with rings smaller than bottle necks, basketball hoops that are oval, and milk bottle games with weighted bottles. Large sums are extracted from visitors trying to win oversized prizes. Treat all carnival games as entertainment with a guaranteed cost, not a genuine chance to win a prize. Set a firm per-game budget before engaging. If a game appears physically rigged, report it to the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLC), which licenses midway operators.

Other Tourist Scams in Calgary

Stampede Ticket Scalping and Counterfeit Sales

Rigged Midway Carnival Games

Experienced a scam here?