Vending machine sales of lottery tickets in Kansas are being blocked by conservative Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

He vetoed a bill this week that had strong bipartisan support and declared that an expansion of state-run gambling would hurt the poor the most.

Lottery officials had worked for months to get lawmakers to pass the bill authorizing vending machine sales. They argued that it could boost annual sales by as much as $30 million and generate between $8 million and $10 million in revenues to the state.

Legislators agreed to dedicate much of the state’s proceeds to community mental health services.

Missouri and most other states allow vending machine sales of lottery tickets. Kansas has resisted even after legalizing state-owned casinos.

Brownback has long been wary of expanding legalized gambling.