Brazil is set to privatize its lottery operations by the end of the year, a move that many analysts see as a significant step toward the commercialization of gambling in Latin America’s largest economy.

The country’s Secretary for Economic Monitoring announced that it will be bidding out Brazil’s Exclusive Instant Lottery (LOTEX) concession on December 2017. Public bank Caixa Economica Federal (Caixa) continues to operate the country’s lottery even if instant ticket sales have been halted since 2015 ahead of the privatization.

In its Thursday industry update, Union Gaming said that ten of the biggest names in gaming industry are expected to compete for the lottery concession, which will come with an with an initial term of 25 years. The minimum bid for the lottery operation is set at R$916 million (US$290 m based on current exchange rates).

SGMS, IGT, Intralot, and Pollard were reportedly among the 10 multinational investors that had expressed interest in the instant ticket concession and had actively participated in the LOTEX roadshows in Las Vegas and London over the past two weeks.