Online Gambling Championed by RGA

Published: Thursday, July 23, 2009 Online-Casinos.com

The Remote Gaming Association is in a position to make a difference in the world of online gambling. The RGA became operational on the 1st of August 2005 as a result of a merger between the Association of Remote Gambling Operators (ARGO) and the Interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association (IGGBA). The RGA represents the world's largest licensed, and stock market-listed remote gambling firms providing the industry with a single voice on all the issues of importance to regulators, legislators, and key decision makers around the world.

At this moment in time the World Trade Organisation and the US Trade Representative including the Trade Commissioner of the European Union are in negotiations giving a reason for the RGA to outline it's main objectives. The main focus is the RGA's complaint about discriminatory US enforcement against European online gambling operators which triggered a European Union investigation which found that the complaint was a well founded one.

Clive Hawkswood, Chief Executive Officer of the Remote Gaming Association, said, that compensation is not the issue, it's the immunity from prosecution that remains the main aim of the group's focus.

Mr. Hawkswood pointed out that, "The aim is to secure what the European Commission deems is a reliable undertaking that EU gambling interests won't be pursued by the U.S. Department of Justice for activities which should have been under protection of WTO agreements. There's no issue of compensation," Mr. Hawkswood went on to say, "The implication of the complaint is that, yes, the US should bring its gambling rules into compliance with global rules on foreign trade, but the main issue for the RGA and its members is securing this indemnity from prosecution. Then we can talk about the other issues." He added later, "Our complaint has interested many politicians who previously had no interest in gambling, and have said to us: 'We are the champion of the WTO and global free trade, so if we don't stand behind this, how can we expect any other countries to do so? "