Serve Legal’s latest benchmarking places regulated betting and gaming businesses ahead of other age-restricted retail sectors
The result provides retail operators with evidence that staff training and Challenge 25 procedures are being applied consistently at the point of sale. However, unsuccessful tests still identify areas requiring further work.
Betting and Gaming Council members recorded an overall pass rate of 97% in independent test purchasing conducted by Serve Legal between May 2025 and April 2026.
This was the highest result among the sectors included in the benchmarking. Supermarkets achieved 80%, convenience stores 77%, specialist vape shops 61% and delivery services 44%.
The BGC result improved by five percentage points from the previous year and was its strongest performance across the four annual reporting periods covered by the analysis.
Testing frontline age-verification procedures
Serve Legal uses independent test purchasing to assess how businesses apply age-verification policies when younger-looking customers try to access restricted products or services.
Its gambling audits test whether frontline teams follow Challenge 25 or Think 25 procedures. Under these policies, staff should request suitable identification from any customer who appears to be under 25.
The approach allows businesses to compare written compliance policies with what happens during real customer interactions. Failed tests can be used to identify weaknesses in training, staff confidence or operational consistency.
The BGC attributed its members’ performance to stronger age-verification controls, regular staff training and the wider adoption of Challenge 25 across regulated betting and gaming premises.
Grainne Hurst, Chief Executive of the Betting and Gaming Council
“These are excellent results and a clear demonstration of the high standards being delivered across the regulated betting and gaming sector.
“It is particularly encouraging to see BGC members outperform every other sector included in the benchmarking. But members must continue learning from every failed test and drive standards higher.”
The Council also contrasted the controls applied by licensed businesses with illegal operators that sit outside Britain’s licensing framework and its associated consumer protections.
Test results support targeted improvements
Serve Legal said regular independent checks help operators understand where age-verification procedures are working and where further training or operational changes are required.
Kate Rand, Chief Executive of Serve Legal
“Testing helps businesses understand where their age-verification procedures are working effectively and where further training or operational improvements may be needed.”
Rand said operators should use the evidence to close the gap between central policies and service at individual premises.
Serve Legal is expanding its use of technology and data analysis to identify compliance patterns, predict higher-risk areas and help businesses target remedial action.
The BGC will continue working with Serve Legal and its members to examine unsuccessful tests, share lessons and improve age-verification standards across regulated premises.
