It proved a boon for touts because many supporters paid inflated prices via internet ticket brokers.

In the past, ticket brokers resold tickets.

The report also highlighted the use by some ticket brokers of software called 'ticket bots', to purchase as many tickets as quickly as possible and resell them at a mark-up.

It was echoing the concerns of many artists and consumers about the increasing stranglehold of the large concert promoters and ticket brokers on the performance market.

Without easy access to legitimate ticket agencies in the host city, many tourists wind up getting burned by counterfeit tickets or by ticket brokers who cannot deliver on their promises.