The Mississippi Lottery Corporation says people bought a total of $2.5 million in lottery tickets on the first day of sales.

In a news release, lottery officials said that translates into $570,000 for the state.

Tickets went on sale at 5 a.m. Monday. The tickets are available at nearly 1,200 retailers in 80 of the state’s 82 counties.

The lottery’s president, Tom Shaheen, says the state has exceeded expectations.

For decades, the state resisted a lottery. But in 2018, lawmakers authorized it as a way to pay for road maintenance and infrastructure needs.

For 10 years, the first $80 million goes to infrastructure needs and when the 10 years is over, that money goes to the general fund. Anything over $80 million goes to education.