Italian operators have narrowly avoided a damaging motion brought by the federalist and regionalist party Lega Nord, which called for a year-long ban on new gaming businesses launched into the market.

Leg Nord argued that the rapid growth of Italy’s gambling market has caused a huge rise in addiction.

However, the Italian Ministry of Finance dismissed the motion, claiming it was “inapplicable” and “unlawful” and likely to severely impact revenues to the tune of around €6bn.