Dispension, a Nova Scotia company, is working on getting automated beer vending machines into stadiums across Canada. The machines will scan a patron’s ID to verify their eligibility before dispensing the product. The settings can be adjusted to limit the amount of alcohol sold, and the company is working on biometric technology to detect impairment. The company has already beta-tested the machines at the 2022 MLB All-Star game in Los Angeles but has yet to operate in Canada. The founder of the company, Corey Yantha, believes that having these vending machines in stadiums would increase the number of points of sale and allow people to get back to their seats with a cold beer quickly.
The Nova Scotia Minister of Service, Colton Leblanc, has approved a request to set up the vending machines in Scotiabank Centre, but there is no timeline on when this could happen. One stipulation for setting up the machines is to ensure “physical monitoring” to control who is buying the beverages. The machines would only be allowed in special premise locations, and the legality of setting them in other locations would need to be reviewed by the province. Some concerns have been raised about the ease of access to alcohol through the vending machines, especially in terms of selling to minors without proper intervention.
Kara Thompson, an associate professor of psychology at St. Francis Xavier University in Halifax, has raised concerns about the vending machines. She questions whether alcohol could be sold to minors without proper oversight, as there is no intervention like there would be at a liquor store. Thompson is worried that the vending machines will normalize the perception that people need alcohol and should have easy access to it at any time. The CEO of the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation serves as an advisor for the vending machines’ parent company, but the NSLC has no plans to incorporate the machines into its stores and has no involvement in the kiosks.
The serving of beer in cans with tabs pulled from the machines meets legal requirements, but Thompson believes that the easy access to alcohol through the vending machines could lead to overconsumption. She is concerned that people who may not have run out to get more beer will now have easy access and won’t have to be cut off. Despite the age authentication process, Thompson is worried that minors could still access alcohol through these machines if someone else purchases it for them. The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation has stated that they are not planning to incorporate the machines into their stores, further emphasizing the separation between the vending machines and the province’s liquor stores.
Overall, the introduction of automated beer vending machines in stadiums across Canada is still in the planning stage, with approval from the Nova Scotia government for placement in the Scotiabank Centre. The machines have the potential to increase the number of points of sale and allow patrons to quickly get back to their seats with a cold beer. However, concerns have been raised about the ease of access to alcohol, especially in terms of selling to minors without proper oversight. It remains to be seen whether these vending machines will become a common sight in Canadian stadiums and how they will affect the overall consumption and perception of alcohol in these settings.
