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In a modest victory for the privately owned gaming industry, the European Unions top court ruled on Thursday that Italy was wrong to renew 329 horse racing book licenses without opening up the bid to public tender, Retuers reports.

Before 200, Italy decided to increase the number of betting centers from the then-current number of 329 to 1000. The new centers were put to public bid, while the existing 329 were renewed for six years. By failing to open the 329 centers to bid Italy “infringed [upon] the general principle of transparency and the obligation to ensure a sufficient degree of advertising”, the EU court stated.

“The courts decision sends a clear signal to member states currently offering, or planning to offer, licenses to European gaming and betting operators…that these licenses cannot be awarded without a transparent, competitive and fair tendering procedure,” according to Sigrid Ligne, the secretary general of the European Gaming and Betting Association, which groups leading gambling operators.