Antigua Watching U.S. Banning Progress

Published: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 Online-Casinos.com

ANTIGUA WATCHING US BANNING DEVELOPMENTS CLOSELY

Legislation will exacerbate islanders' dispute with the States

The government of Antigua and Barbuda, already locked in a World Trade Organisation dispute over online gambling with the United States, says the moves to ban this form of entertainment will impact on the island and will worsen relationships.

Associated Press reports quote Antigua Finance Minister Errol Cort as saying: "I'm very surprised and quite disappointed that the U.S. Congress would be pushing full-force ahead," this week.

Cort said the legislation could worsen a dispute between the United States and the two-island Caribbean nation over whether Washington should drop prohibitions on Americans placing bets in online casinos. The World Trade Organisation ruled last year that some U.S. laws on the issue were in line with international commerce regulations, but others [on horse race betting over the Internet] were not.

"We will be watching this matter very closely," Cort said. "The passage of those two [Goodlatte and Leach] bills will aggravate our trade relations regarding the U.S. with the WTO." Antigua has submitted written objections to the U.S. House Judicial Committee about the bills and was waiting on whether the WTO would convene a tribunal to see if Washington had complied with the trade group's ruling.