Travelers walk past a Missouri Lottery vending machine at Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, March 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

TOPEKA — Kansas has legalized the sale of state lottery tickets through vending machines, and they’re expected to start popping up in stores and gas stations next year.

Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer this week signed a bill sought by lottery officials to authorize vending-machine sales. Most states already allow such vending machines, and Kansas Lottery officials see them as a way to boost sales.

Lottery Director Terry Presta said Friday that annual sales eventually could rise by up to $100 million.

Lawmakers passed a bill legalizing lottery vending machines last year, but then-conservative Republican Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed it. He argued that expanding state-run gambling would hurt the poor the most.

Brownback stepped down in January for an ambassador’s post, and lawmakers quietly passed another bill with bipartisan support.