Alcohol sales policy catching up on age verification in the US, UK

New legislation in Pennsylvania puts new emphasis on age verification technology as a means of preventing alcohol sales to underage customers. A similar policy could be coming to the UK, paving the way for alcohol sales with biometric age estimation at grocery stores. Sports venues in the U.S. are deploying the technology for a growing number of self-serve concessions, and the shifting market is benefitting those self-service suppliers embracing the technology, like Yoti partner Diebold Nixdorf.

Yoti also updated its self-tested facial age estimation accuracy in a LinkedIn post from CEO Robin Tombs. The latest results indicate that 96 percent of UK adults over 21 would be assessed as such by the company’s technology. Tombs also points out that the 0.2 percent of 15 to 17 year-olds estimated to be 25 or over would represent a dramatic decrease from the number of young people in that age group successfully purchasing age-restricted products today.

Pennsylvania cocktails bill mandates age verification scans

In Pennsylvania, Governor Joe Regan has signed a new law that promises to change the state’s approach to alcohol consumption. The bill, passed with bipartisan support, permits the sale of cocktails for takeout and delivery as of September 15, a shift from previous regulations, PA Senate Republicans reports. SB 688 is expected to boost local bars and restaurants, offering them a new revenue stream while providing consumers with greater convenience.

The legislation aims to modernize alcohol laws to reflect contemporary consumer preferences and aligns with similar changes seen in other states. The bill’s signing is also seen as a step towards broader acceptance of digital and remote sales methods, further amplified by advancements in technology for verifying age.

IDScan.net notes the bill specifically states that permitted vendors “shall utilize a transaction scan device to verify the age of an individual who appears to be under thirty-five years of age” prior to service. The blog post further points out that with Pennsylvania’s affirmative defense laws, scanning the ID of a person for age verification provides legal assurance that the business has complied with the law in the event of an accidental sale to an underaged individual.

Legal change needed in UK for full benefits of age estimation

The legal change in Pennsylvania will have to be replicated in the UK if Yoti’s biometric age estimation is to be adopted in the nation’s supermarkets for self-checkouts of alcohol, TechMonitor points out.

A 2003 law requires that a “responsible person” must approve alcohol sales, and would have to be changed for automated technology to replace in-person checks.

For now, biometric age estimation like that provided by Innovative Technology (ITL) is used only to verify if someone needs to have their age manually verified, as Beverage Daily notes. This speeds up the process for those who do not need to be checked, but as the technology continues improving, falls short of realizing its full potential.

Intuitive concessions from Clear, a win for Wicket

Face biometrics are part of the fan experience at the new Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, home to the National Basketball Association’s Clippers. Clear is providing biometric age verification for alcohol sales, as spotted by Stadium Tech Report. Facial authentication is also used for stadium entry, and that system had some problems on opening night, though the tech provider for that application has not been announced.

The fan app for the new stadium includes three identity management features; “Game Face ID,” “Zoom Thru,” and “Intuit Dome Identity Pass.”

Game Face ID enables selfie biometrics registration and venue entry, while the Identity Pass is a phone-based digital ID credential, and Zoom Thru is an access control system. Face biometrics will also be collected from visitors to Intuit Dome who are not enrolled in Game Face ID, but deleted when they are not matched to an enrolled identity.

The Intuit Dome privacy policy notes that Game Face ID “may also infer whether you are over 21 from your selfie photo” with age estimation.

The Cleveland Browns cut the average time for alcohol sales transactions by roughly 30 seconds using Wicket biometrics with its Express beer program, and winning a 2024 Excellence in Concessions Award from VenuesNow.

The expansion from biometric ticketing and entry to concessions has quickly gained traction, with Express Beer sales increasing by 80 percent over the first three games of the season.

Biometric vending machines boost Diebold Nixdorf’s market position

Biometric age estimation for alcohol sales are also driving market gains for Diebold Nixdorf. The capability is provided through a partnership with Yoti.

Self-service technology provider Diebold has announced that it now ranks as the number two provider of self-service machines globally, and first in the EMEA region. EVP Ilhami Cantadurucu attributes the company’s gains to the use of AI and computer vision to reduce “common friction points,” including age verification.

The Yoti deployment at British supermarket Co-op in 2022 also included Diebold Nixdorf, according to Grocery Gazette, and earlier this year, Diebold Nixdorf implemented automatic age estimation from using Yoti’s face biometrics at Edeka Jaeger’s store in Stuttgart Airport for self-service checkouts.

Article Topics

age verification  |  biometrics  |  CLEAR  |  Diebold Nixdorf Technology  |  face biometrics  |  IDScan.net  |  Innovative Technology  |  retail biometrics  |  Wicket  |  Yoti