One type of vending machine that can be found in Texas, but not in most other parts the country, is the tobacco vending machine. This is because in many other states and all of Canada, they are illegal, no matter the location. The law in Texas, however, states, "Vending machine and self service sales are restricted except in places not open to those under 18 years of age." This means that anyone except a minor can purchase a pack of cigarettes from a vending machine, legally, in any bar in the state. Measures have been taken, however, to prevent unintended sale to minors through the design of vending machines that need to be unlocked for someone to make a purchase.
The idea of purchasing any sort of living thing from a vending machine may seem strange, but that's the case with live bait vending machines in Texas. Found mostly near the coast, in places like Galveston, these machines contain live minnows that fishermen can purchase quickly for a few dollars and be on their way. The machines are also in operation 24 hours a day to be available for even the earliest of fishing expeditions. The first live bait machine was presented in 1995 at the American Sport Fishing Association's Annual Expo.
While tobacco and live bait may fit into the rugged Texas lifestyle, not all vending machines in the Lone Star state follow suit. The best example of this the Sephora beauty products dispenser at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. Sephora is a French cosmetics chain with more than 700 retail stores across the world. At DWF Airport, as well as at Houston International Airport, these machines, which are about twice the size of the typical vending machine, dispense everything from face creams to perfumes. Credit cards are accepted at Sephora machines, which operate through a touch screen and which are located past security to ensure that no recent purchases are seized.
