2010 Olympics Tickets To Go On Sale October 2008

The tickets for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games will go on sale next month, according to Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). The first phase of tickets sales begins Oct 3, 2008.

As per VANOC's rather complicated description, this first phase will include four stages

1. Application Period: The application period is a set period of time (for example, a specific number of days) during which applications must be completed and submitted. All applications received during this time will be weighted equally. The application process offers the best chance for Canadian residents to secure the tickets they want, especially for high-demand sessions. A user-friendly, one-page application, including payment information, must be completed and submitted within the application period to be eligible. Payments will not be processed until the application period has closed and tickets have been allocated.

2. Lotteries: A lottery will be held for all oversubscribed sessions and ticket packages. Holding a random lottery for sessions or packages with greater demand than availability ensures that tickets are distributed fairly.

3. Notification: All applicants will be notified regarding the sessions and/or packages they have secured. Seat locations will be confirmed at a later date.

4. Exclusive Add-on Period: All applicants, whether successful in their application or not, will have the opportunity to purchase remaining unsold tickets before they are released to those who missed the initial application period.”

The application period described in stage one will last from Oct. 3- Nov. 7 and will not be on a first come, first-served basis. This means all applicants (who must be Canadian residents) who submit the proper form during that period will have an equal chance at securing tickets for various events. Applicants will be limited as to how many requests they can make and how many tickets they receive. Where requests outnumber available seats, tickets will be allocated by random lottery.

If applicants have been successful, they will be notified by VANOC and their credit cards charged sometime between November and December. Note at this time, the only form of payment accepted is VISA. While VANOC points out that more than 100,000 tickets will be available for $25 , and over half of all Games tickets will be priced at $100 or less, Olympic enthusiasts looking for hot ticket items, such as Men's Hockey and Mens & Women's Figure Skating, will have to prepared to pay a pretty penny ($775 for the gold medal game of hockey!) . Less popular events, such as biathalon (that's the one with the skiing and the shooting, folks!) and luge (insert your own “big luger” joke here) will be more reasonable. A full list of ticket prices is available on the official 2010 site.

The second phase of ticket sales, in which unsold tickets will be available for direct purchase, is slated to begin in early 2009, says VANOC. This will be followed by a seat assignment period (seat assignments will not be available during phase one, as some venues are not yet complete, but buyers can purchase “zoned” tickets which presumably get closer to the action with increasing price),

Buyers should note that only entities authorized by VANOC are considered legitimate sales sources. Any individual or group claiming to have access to Games tickets, or selling tickets without approval from VANOC, is considered to be an unauthorized source. You should be aware that tickets bought from any unauthorized source may not be valid and may not be accepted for entry to 2010 Winter Games venues. In other words, think before you fork over your hard-earned cash for that sparkly billet bearing the words “Dudes Hockey: 500 bucks, plz”

Note: Non-Canadian residents must purchase tickets through the authorized sales agent for their respective National Olympic Committee (NOC).