The government of Antigua & Barbuda has sent a letter to Rob Portman, the United States Trade Representative, in response to recent legislation introduced in the US Congress regarding Internet gambling.
In 2005, Antigua won a case against the United States at the World Trade Organisation over the US prohibition on Internet gambling services offered to American customers from Antigua & Barbuda and under WTO procedures, the United States was given until 3 April, 2006 to bring its laws into compliance with the WTO decision.
However, the only legislation introduced into the Congress to date have been bills sponsored by Congressmen Jim Leach (R-Iowa) and Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia), both of whom seek to impose further restrictions on Internet gambling.
In his letter dated 16 Feb., 2006 to Ambassador Portman, the Antiguan Ambassador to WTO Dr. John W. Ashe noted that both pieces of legislation are in a number of respects directly contrary to the ruling of the WTO in the gambling dispute.
“As of today,” noted Ambassador Ashe, “with less than two months remaining on an 11 month and two week compliance period, to our knowledge no legislation has been introduced into the Congress that would seek to bring the United States into compliance with the [WTO] recommendations.
“Further, your government has given no indication to Antigua & Barbuda as to how the United States intends to effect such compliance. The only legislative efforts so far, the Goodlatte Bill and the Leach Bill, are baldly contrary to the rulings and recommendations of the [WTO]. We can only assume that this legislation was neither sponsored by nor enjoys the support of the USTR and the current American administration.”
Mark Mendel, lead counsel representing Antigua & Barbuda in the WTO case, observed that the exceptions to the Internet gambling prohibition contained in the two bills highlight the discriminatory trade effect of the United States prohibition on the cross-border provision of gambling and betting services into the US.
“By creating carve-outs for certain domestic remote gambling opportunities, including in particular wholly-intrastate remote gambling, both of these pieces of legislation fly directly in the face of the WTO ruling. The economic basis of the US restrictions simply cannot be more obvious,” Mendel said.
Ambassador Ashe further expressed his country’s commitment to the case and noted that “Antigua & Barbuda stands prepared to ensure that our people reap the benefits of this historic decision.”
source : Antigua Sun
