Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is raffling off tickets for Lionel Messi’s debut, asking football fans to donate his $1 Venmo presidential campaign
Francis Suarez, Miami mayor and hopeful for the Republican nominee, has used Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami debut as a desperate attempt to boost his presidential campaign.
Messi, who was officially unveiled as an Inter Miami player on Sunday evening in a glitzy ceremony presided over by co-owner David Beckham, is expected to make his first game for the club on Friday 21 July.
And Suarez, who launched a long-running campaign last month in a burgeoning GOP field, wanted to capitalize on the global superstar’s arrival in Miami.
In an effort to raise enough donors for the first Republican primary debate, scheduled for August, the mayor announced he would raffle Inter Miami tickets.
Speaking at the Turning Point Action Conference a month after his campaign, Suarez said, “If anyone wants to see Lionel Messi’s first game… give $1 to Venmo, @ Suarez2024… we’re giving away two tickets to see him on the front. queue.’
Francis Suarez (L) has used Lionel Messi’s (R) debut as an attempt to boost his presidential campaign
He later shared the clip and tweeted about the Messi debut lottery, encouraging people to contribute a dollar to enter the draw to win the front row seats.
However, buried in the fine print at the bottom of the image promoting the raffle, it said you don’t have to be a donor to enter the draw, which will take place on July 20.
“You can also get in by mailing a postcard to 2308 Mt. Vernon Avenue, 204 Box, Alexandria, Virginia 22301,” it said.
Federal election laws don’t prohibit fundraising lotteries, but Florida’s gambling laws regulate lotteries by nonprofits, according to the Miami Herald.
Lottery promotion should have rules; the full name of the organization conducting the lottery and its place of business; the source of money used to purchase the prize; the date, time and place of the draw, and a statement that no purchase or contribution is required to enter.
The drawing advertisement that Suarez shared does state that purchase is not required and includes a mailbox for the non-profit campaign group sponsoring the drawing, the date, and entry information.
However, it does not mention the time or location of the draw, or detailed rules of the draw.
Florida gambling laws also state that game promotions with prizes totaling more than $5,000 must be submitted to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services one week before the drawing begins, which also requires a security deposit.
The mayor of Miami shared details of his raffle of two front row seats for Friday’s game
Jorge Mas, co-owner of Inter Miami, was previously a major supporter of Suarez
Inter Miami confirmed to the Herald that Suarez’s campaign had recently purchased two tickets for the team’s game against Cruz Azul on Friday, but did not disclose the value of the seats.
Since Messi confirmed he would be joining the MLS squad, prices for Inter Miami matches have skyrocketed with American football fans desperate to see the World Cup winner in action.
The most expensive tickets being sold by Inter Miami through Ticketmaster for Messi’s highly anticipated debut are currently on offer for $1,250.
Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas was previously a major supporter of Suarez, donating to his municipal campaigns last December and contributing $500,000 to a super PAC that supports Suarez, according to The Herald.