SAN DIEGO -- How'd you like to go to the World Series or Super Bowl for a fraction of the price most people pay? Actually you can, but you have to think ahead and be willing to gamble.

Joe Kocott and his seven kids are huge sports fans. This year their biggest dream came true.

Kocott took his entire family to the Super Bowl. He's wanted to for years but could never afford it until he discovered ticket futures.

"It's just the way to go," said Kocott.

Ticket futures are like contracts.

If you believe your team is going to make it to the big game, you can order tickets months ahead of time.

You lock in and pay a low price that's based on the odds your team will actually hit the field or court.

If they do, you're the real winner!

Kocott picked the Steelers to go the Super Bowl and bought 18 tickets at an average of just $185 each.

"People were paying an average of $2,500 a ticket. It would've cost me $45,000. It ended up costing me $6,300," said Kocott.

There are a handful of ticket futures sites. Kocott used wwww.YooNew.Com.

YooNew CEO Gerry Wilson says the sites are priceless for diehard fans.

"They may never have an opportunity to pay $50 or $100 to actually go to a huge event," said Wilson.

And there's something for everyone.

"Super Bowl, Final Four, Stanley Cup finals, NBA finals and also the World Series," said Wilson.

So, what happens if your team doesn't make it to the big game? If they lose, you lose your entire investment.

"It allows people to assume some risk. Because they're willing to take on this risk, they're rewarded with a much lower price," said Joe Ridout, with Consumer Action.

Ridout says fans need to remember this is a gamble.

"You might wind up with a real bargain, or you might wind up with nothing," said Ridout.

Ridout says not all ticket futures are the same, and it's important to read the fine print.

Some sites charge extra fees on top of the ticket price. You need to ask what happens to your tickets if there's a lockout or strike and find out where your seats will be -- you could end up in the nosebleed section.

"We got very, very good seats," Kocott said.

Kocott is thrilled with his experience. Now he says he's thinking about the Final Four.

"I'm going to select the team that I feel is going to go and simply go to 'Buy Now,'" said Kocott.

YooNew uses a special formula -- balancing risk, odds and other factors to set the ticket price for each team and game.

And those prices can change daily as the factors change, but once you lock in a low price, it's yours.

So what did Kocott do with the 18 tickets? He donated eight to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.