The publication last week of the conditions for those seeking to participate in Italy’s lucrative gratta e vinci tender has provoked denunciations that the bidding has been skewed in favour of Lottomatica, even though a total of four licences are up for grabs.

Italy's Ministry of Economy and Finance will award the country's new Superenalotto lottery licence by the beginning of December, with their way cleared by yesterday’s ruling from an administrative court in Rome that challenges to the controversial bidding process had no validity.

All parties found reason to celebrate the long-awaited decision of the Italian High Court yesterday regarding last year’s controversial tender process for the sale of scratchcards.

The final installment of the legal battle instigated by bookmaker Stanleybet regarding the 329 Italian betting licences assigned, according to the ECJ, unlawfully in 1999 was finally played out when, on February 3, the details of Italy’s latest tender for betting shops was published.

Recently circulated details of an Italian court case involving Austrian bookmaker Goldbet demonstrate the wider European jurisprudence now being employed in the enforcement of the country’s gaming laws, and confirm the unique position into which bookmaker Stanley has manoeuvred itself.

Italy has recently issued regulations to allow for the introduction of VLT machines, cash internet poker, new scratchcard lotteries and online casino games. In 2009 gaming companies operating in Italy collected €53bn in bets.

Yesterday’s deadline for applications to take part in the tender for Italy’s multibillion euro scratchcard business saw only one company step up - the incumbent operator Lottomatica - as legal action once again clouded the future of the contract.

The gaming sector has been on the receiving end of more than its fair share of attention from the Italian parliament recently, with hearings, commissions and questions all dedicated to developments relating to slot machines, the Superenalotto tender, and the betting industry.

Lottomatica has moved to raise as much as €350m in order to pay their share of the upfront fee liable on the Italian Gratta & Vinci (scratch and win) concession should the consortium of which it is the majority owner be named as the successful bidder next month.

The terms for the new tender process for the management of the lucrative Superenalotto lottery contract have been finally announced but they contain some nasty surprises for prospective bidders.