The island state complained to the World Trade Organisation last
year that US moves against internet gambling are discriminatory and
in breach of international trade agreements that require the US to
allow foreign internet companies to offer their services to US
citizens.
The US responded that gambling on the internet is different from
casino-based gambling, not least because of the difficulty in
preventing children from accessing the services. It also said that
the restrictions it has put in place do not in fact breach the
trade agreements, which allow for exceptions for moral reasons. It
also pointed out that when the WTO was set up in 1995, gambling
services were excluded from its remit.
But these arguments were rejected by the WTO in early May, when
the organisation issued a final report finding that the US was in
breach of the WTO rules.
Appeal processes now appear to have been shelved until 23rd
August, according to Reuters.
Antigua and Barbuda, with a population of less than 70,000, has
an economy largely dependent on tourism, but with a growing market
in internet gambling. According to a recent report on Caribbean Net
News.com, the country has lost around US$30 million since the US
began its attempts to restrict Americans' access to on-line
gambling services.
