Myth desk
35 events people think have a ticket lottery. They don't.
35 of the events we track run no public ticket ballot or lottery at all, whatever old guides and resale ads claim. Each event below links to its full record and the official route that does exist, verified against official sources.
The classic example: the NFL discontinued its general-public Super Bowl drawing back in 2018. Knowing a ballot does not exist protects you from the fake shortcut someone will try to sell you instead.
Last verified 23 Jul 2026
12 events
American Football
NFL Draft 2027 (Washington, D.C.): No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does existNFL London Games 2026 - Tottenham game 1: No ballot: free registration, then a timed first-come sale.
The official route that does existNFL London Games 2026 - Tottenham game 2: No ballot: free registration, then a timed first-come sale.
The official route that does existNFL London Games 2026 - Wembley: No ballot: free registration, then a timed first-come sale.
The official route that does existNFL Madrid Game 2026: No ballot: free registration, then a timed first-come sale.
The official route that does existNFL Melbourne Game 2026: No ballot: free registration, then a timed first-come sale.
The official route that does existNFL Mexico City Game 2026: No ballot: free registration, then a timed first-come sale.
The official route that does existNFL Munich Game 2026: No ballot: free registration, then a timed first-come sale.
The official route that does existNFL Paris Game 2026: No ballot: free registration, then a timed first-come sale.
The official route that does existNFL Rio Game 2026: No ballot: free registration, then a timed first-come sale.
The official route that does existSuper Bowl LXI (2027): No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does existSuper Bowl LXII 2028 - NFL general-public face-value ticket Random Drawing: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
3 events
Golf
AIG Women's Open 2026 (Royal Lytham & St Annes): No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does existAIG Women's Open 2027 (Royal St George's): No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does existU.S. Open (golf) 2027: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
2 events
Tennis
Australian Open 2027: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does existUS Open 2026 / 2027: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
2 events
Football
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Poland 2026: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does existFIFA Women's Champions Cup Miami 2027: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
2 events
Rugby
Guinness Men's Six Nations 2027 - England home matches plus Ireland/Wales/Scotland public sale routes: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does existHowden British & Irish Lions Women's Series 2027: No ballot: free registration, then a timed first-come sale.
The official route that does exist
2 events
Olympics
Winter Youth Olympic Games 2028 - public ticketing: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does existDakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games - public ticketing: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
2 events
Basketball
NBA All-Star 2027 (Phoenix): No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does existNBA Finals 2027: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
2 events
Motorsport
Formula 1 grands prix: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does existIndianapolis 500 2027 (111th Running): No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
2 events
Multi-sport Games
20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does existCommonwealth Games Glasgow 2026: No ballot: free registration, then a timed first-come sale.
The official route that does exist
1 event
Cricket
The Ashes 2027 - Old Trafford: no Ashes Test allocated: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
1 event
Athletics
European Athletics Championships Birmingham 2026: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
1 event
Running
Boston Marathon 2027: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
1 event
Cycling
Ford RideLondon 2027: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
1 event
Baseball
MLB World Series 2026: No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
1 event
Horse Racing
Kentucky Derby 2027 (153rd Running): No public ticket ballot or lottery exists.
The official route that does exist
The real ones
Plenty of events do run a ballot
Wimbledon, the Masters, The Open and dozens more hand out face-value tickets through official ballots that are usually free to enter. See what is open right now, or learn how the real ones work.