Bill Text: TX SB79 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a lottery game played or facilitated for play by telephone or through an Internet or mobile Internet application; creating criminal offenses.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-11-12 - Filed [SB79 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB79-Introduced.html
| 89R4161 BEE-D | ||
| By: Hall, Middleton, Perry | S.B. No. 79 | |
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| relating to a lottery game played or facilitated for play by | ||
| telephone or through an Internet or mobile Internet application; | ||
| creating criminal offenses. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 466.015(b), Government Code, is amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (b) The commission shall adopt rules to the extent they are | ||
| not inconsistent with Chapters 551 and 552 governing the: | ||
| (1) security for the lottery and the commission, | ||
| including the development of an internal security plan; | ||
| (2) apportionment of the total revenues from the sale | ||
| of tickets and from all other sources in the amounts provided by | ||
| this chapter; | ||
| (3) enforcement of prohibitions on the sale of tickets | ||
| to or by an individual younger than 18 years of age; and | ||
| (4) enforcement of prohibitions on a person playing or | ||
| facilitating the play of a lottery game by telephone or through an | ||
| Internet application or mobile Internet application in violation of | ||
| Section 466.318. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter G, Chapter 466, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 466.318 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 466.318. PLAY OR FACILITATING PLAY BY TELEPHONE OR BY | ||
| INTERNET OR MOBILE INTERNET APPLICATION. (a) A person may not by | ||
| telephone or through an Internet application or mobile Internet | ||
| application: | ||
| (1) purchase or order the purchase of a ticket for a | ||
| lottery game; or | ||
| (2) for compensation: | ||
| (A) accept an order for a ticket for a lottery | ||
| game from a player; | ||
| (B) sell a ticket for a lottery game to a player; | ||
| or | ||
| (C) arrange: | ||
| (i) to purchase a ticket on behalf of a | ||
| person playing a lottery game; or | ||
| (ii) for another person to purchase a | ||
| ticket on behalf of a person playing a lottery game. | ||
| (b) A person commits an offense if the person violates this | ||
| section. | ||
| (c) An offense under Subsection (a)(1) is a Class C | ||
| misdemeanor. | ||
| (d) An offense under Subsection (a)(2) is a Class A | ||
| misdemeanor. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
