Italy’s new Deputy Prime Minister has called for pinball tables to replace gambling machines.

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June saw a general election in Italy that resulted in a new coalition government. The new deputy Luigi Di Maio has embarked on an anti-gambling campaign that currently has a ban on all forms of gambling set to begin on January 1, 2019.

Not content with this, he is now continuing his crusade with a call for all AWPs, VLTs, sports betting terminals and the like to be replaced with pinball tables in locations across the country.

A post on the Minister of Labour and Economic Development’s personal Facebook page suggested: "We put pinball machines back in the bars instead of the slots. Pinballs have never ruined anyone."

The caption that accompanies the photo asks for those who agree to “raise your hand.”

The Italian gaming and betting industry is one of Europe’s largest, despite having been beset by political and legislative turmoil for years now.

A report by gaming news site Agimeg recently showed that for the year-to-date, overall betting revenue is up 43 per cent to €852m, boosting government coffers by €167m.