Posted on 08/19/2005 11:50:14 AM PDT by nypokerface
GENEVA (AFP) - The United States has until April 2006 to comply with a ruling about US restrictions on cross-border gaming on the Internet, the World Trade Organisation announced.
In an arbitration decision, the global trade referee set the "reasonable period of time" for Washington to adapt its legislation in line with the ruling, which was issued in April this year after the tiny Caribbean state of Antigua and Barbuda brought the US before the 148-nation WTO.
"The United States has already announced its intention to comply with the WTO findings," said Neena Moorjani, a spokeswoman for the US Trade Representative, in a statement.
"In order to implement the findings, all we need to do is clarify one narrow issue concerning Internet gambling on horse racing."
"This does not involve weakening US restrictions on Internet gambling," she added.
Antigua argued in the complaint it launched in March 2003 that US prohibitions were harming its online gaming business, which is aimed at reducing the island's economic dependence on tourism.
Antigua, with a population of about 68,000, is a centre for offshore Internet gaming operations, attracting large numbers of US residents to its virtual casino-style games and betting services.
US officials contended Internet gambling is illegal if it involves activity on US soil, and have vowed to prosecute those involved in the practice.
Both sides claimed victory in the dispute.
In its ruling, the WTO accepted that prohibitions in some US states on cross-border gaming were valid and agreed with Washington's argument that some federal laws could "protect public morals or maintain public order."
However, the appeals panel ruled that the United States had not been able to show that US laws on horse-racing bets were applied equitably to foreign and domestic online betting suppliers, a key condition of global trade rules.
Antigua has said it expects changes in US rules to unlock opportunities to advertise online gaming products on US Internet sites or media without the threat of legal action by authorities.
When do we stop letting these pisqueaks and others try to tell us what to doand tell them we don't give a s_it?
Why are we in the WTO? Who the hell do they think they are?
WTO rules breed lawlessness and loss of national sovereignty. Borders, language, culture ...
They can take a long walk off a short pier.
WTO.
What authorities? If you are cheated while gambling at an on-line casino, you are out-of-luck (more ways than one). Don't believe me, do a search for on-line gambling scams. The internet is loaded with them.
Have you seen ANY atempt to withdraw from the UN by George Bush?
No.
George Bush wants to be beat up by third world nations.
Land based casinos in this country are run honestly (though they have a built-in house advantage, which is understood). The casino operators would lose many times more money by losing their license top operate than they could ever gain by rigging their games. I was referring to regulation concerns, not mathematical odds.
Are you referring to the WTO telling the US what to do?
Or the US telling people they can't use the Internet to gamble?
Well played.
We agreed to trade with other nations on equal footing. Apparently our rules about betting on horses are being unequally applied to foreign businesses.
It sounds like we need to clarify some rules, and legislate some consumer protections that can be applied to both domestic and foreign companies providing gambling.
The WTO is merely an arbiter in the dispute. They are supposed to act as an impartial party to determine if the countries involved are living up to their trade agreements.
If they rule that a country is not living up to their trade agreements, then they can approve the other party enforcing their own tarrifs or restrictions to offset the ones ruled unfair.
It's not like the WTO can force us to do anything.
Both. Gambling bans are nanny-state paternalism, but the WTO trying to override them is an attack on US sovereignty.
There are no winning strategies at any games where you play against the house, except possibly blackjack if you count perfectly. (And if they notice, they will throw you out). The only way to win is to compete against other players in games like poker, where the casino doesn't care if you win because they still get their cut.
How is making it illegal for me to play poker at UltimateBet.com or any of the hundreds of such sites protecting public morals and maintaining public order?
Find me a single legal casino in the United States that are running crooked games.
Just see how fast you get booted and blacklisted by the casinos if you develop a winning stratgey.
As with every other business, they have the right to refuse service.
"As with every other business, they have the right to refuse service."
Yep. They are privately owned businesses and can cut a player off at any time.
My mother audits Mississippi casinos. They are on the up and up. The odds, however, are with the house. Nothing illegal or dishonest about that, though.
Online casinos? Wouldn't touch 'em. It's like asking to be scammed.
Let me get it straight. Suppose Antigua decides to legalize cocaine trade, which is illegal in the U.S. If I then decide to broker a cocain deal in Antigua over the Internet, our govenment has to respect that?
This is aside from the question of how much, exactly, did Antigua pay for the Internet created by Americans and paid for by American taxpayers? Now THEY have to tell US how to use it?
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