Geneva takes the position that the United States should face commercial sanctions in the category of around $3.4 billion each year, for its roll in failing to comply with the World Trade Organization ruling when they said that the U.S. Online Casino restrictions are illegal. The Carribbean nation of Antigua & Barbuda state sanctions certainly should occur.
Caribbean Nations are not the only ones trying to put added pressure on the United States to revisit the gambling restrictions. Japan and India, also have filed WTO requests for compensation based on Washington’s attempt to change the details of its obligations perthe 199 General Agreement on Trade in Services.
The Caribbean Nations and Asian Nations were followed this week by the European Union, which indicates they wish the U.S. to open up other trade sectors to compensate for deleting a portion of the treaty.
The United Sates, currently attempting to resolve the Antigua dispute, wax explicit in removing online betting from agreements after they lost a WTO ruling last year.
Antigua claims they are asking the trade body for the authority to target American trademarks & copyrights assuming the U.S. continues it’s position on refusing to change it’s legislation. Antigua indicates that the sanctions would come into effect shortly; assuming the US does not requests a WTO arbitration panel per the sanctions.
Antigua alleges that until the United States is willing to engage ina resonable solution to the trade dispute, Antigua will have no choice but to seek every remedy availble to protect the interests of the citizens of Antigua.
Antigua advises that prior to the ban, online gambling provided income for hundreds of citizens and helped to compensate financially from recent hurricane devestation.
This past year the U.S.prohibited U.S. banks and credit card companies from processingpayments to online gambling businesses outside of the US. With about 1/2 of the world’s online gamblers based in the United States, the ban closed off about $15.5 billion last year.
In December, 2006, the WTO ruled that the law unfairly targeted offshore casinos, telling the U.S. it could keep restrictions against sport betting in place as long is it consistently applied the same ban against operators of remote horse betting.