AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that people outside of Texas cannot buy Texas Lottery tickets by using third-party couriers.
During Tuesday's Senate Committee on State Affairs, lawmakers listened to testimony from current and former lottery officials about possibly cracking down on a loophole that helps people buy Texas Lottery tickets through third-party couriers like Jackpocket.
Lawmakers are investigating if using these third-party apps to buy lottery tickets violates state law.
Currently, Texas law bans the sale of lottery tickets online, but couriers get around that law by using a middleman to take orders and buy lottery tickets at brick-and-mortar locations. Couriers were first documented in 2016 with part of the concern being the access children could have.
"I do not want anyone under 18 in Texas involved with lottery tickets, period," said Ryan Mindell, Texas Lottery Commission. "I believe the proposed frameworks on courier services we developed would give us the tools to directly hold violators accountable."
The Texas Lottery Commission is proposing that during the upcoming session in January, lawmakers decide to either ban the activity or regulate it.
This isn't the first time lawmakers have looked at banning this loophole. There was a bill in the 2023 legislative session by Republican Sen. Bob Hall, but it didn't make it through.