These licenses were worth up to USD 1.86 billion in bets last year

After losing a lengthy European Court of Justice case over the renewal of its horseracing concessions, the Italian Government plans to launch a public tender for the 329 disputed allowances by the end of the year.

According to a report from Agipronews, the European Court of Justice ruled against the Italian Government’s renewal of its 2000 to 2005 licenses because it had not put them out for public tender.

These licenses were worth up to USD 1.86 billion in bets last year, around 59 percent of the overall horseracing betting market. Currently, Snai SpA runs 298 of the valued outlets while Sisal holds 31.

In January, the government agreed with the European Commission to organize a European Union-wide tender subject to updated rules aimed at more fairly spreading out the outlets. Government sources revealed that the tender could go ahead under the auspices of the State’s monopoly organization despite an ongoing political crisis that has restricted the outgoing government to ordinary business.