A new Mississippi Lottery could start selling scratch-off tickets Dec. 1.

The state’s lottery corporation announced the intended starting date in a news release Thursday.

The group also said it is seeking proposals from experienced vendors for lottery game products and services that allow for multistate games such as Powerball, and for instant scratch-off lottery ticket services.

The lottery director, Tom Shaheen, tells The Associated Press on Friday that the sale of tickets for multistate games could begin in 2020.

Mississippi had been one of six states without a lottery, and churches were longtime opponents of creating one. But as the state faced increasing problems with crumbling highways and bridges, lawmakers met in special session in August and voted to start a lottery to generate money for transportation.