England and Wales put 7,300 offenders on alcohol tags during the World Cup

About 7,300 offenders in England and Wales are being required to wear ankle tags that detect alcohol consumption during the FIFA World Cup, as the British government expands a monitoring program aimed at reducing violence and disorder linked to major soccer matches.

The tags are being used on people released from prison or serving community sentences who have been banned by courts from drinking alcohol. According to the government, the devices analyze sweat and can alert probation officers if the wearer has consumed alcohol. Officials say the technology is accurate enough to distinguish between someone who is simply in a pub or another place where alcohol is present and someone who is actually drinking.

The measure comes as police forces and local authorities prepare for heavier demand during the tournament. The government has tied alcohol use to violence, anti-social behavior and public disorder around major football fixtures. The National Audit Office has estimated that alcohol-related harm costs the U.K. economy £21 billion a year, or about $27.7 billion.

Lord Timpson, the minister for prisons, probation and reducing reoffending, said major sporting events should bring people together rather than be disrupted by alcohol-fueled violence. He said the tags were meant to act as a warning to offenders that violating court-ordered drinking bans could lead to jail.

The government said about 5,000 offenders were already wearing the tags when the tournament began, with another 2,300 expected to receive them this summer. It added that offenders subject to alcohol bans have stayed sober for 97% of the days they have been tagged since the technology was introduced in 2020.

Officials also said tens of thousands more offenders will be tagged over the next three years. In addition, the government is introducing a presumption that all prison leavers will be tagged on release as part of intensive supervision by probation services.

The move lands as pubs and bars expect a surge in match-day trade. Bookings in the U.K. on-trade to watch England’s first 2026 World Cup game were up 293% on June 17, according to industry data cited in the report. That contrast highlights a growing pressure point for the drinks sector: authorities are trying to curb alcohol-related incidents around high-demand sporting events even as venues prepare for larger crowds and stronger sales. The wider use of monitoring technology could signal stricter enforcement around drinking-related offenses during major occasions that are important for beer, wine and spirits sales.