US Puts Off Internet Gambling Talks With Antigua, Now The EU

The European Union is looking for answers from the United States regarding the UIGEA and other laws they put in place that forced legitimate publicly traded UK companies out of the US online gambling market. But the U.S. has delayed trade talks with the EU regarding their Internet gambling stance, yet again.

The United States has been negotiating a settlement with Antigua over a dispute in which the American government crippled Antigua's online gambling industry, and thus their overall economy. The World Trade Organization granted Antigua the right to violate intellectual trade properties as a penalty for their violation of WTO treaties. Antigua has been nervous to implement those WTO given rights, however, out of fear of retaliation from the US government. As a result, the two countries have been in talks to settle the dispute, but the US has constantly postponed their meetings.

The EU also believes that the United States owes them for violating WTO treaties, though they have not yet filed a suit, insisting that they give the US the chance to talk first. The U.S. Trade Representatives' Office has not fully answered a letter from the EU, however, and instead chose to send a response that was short and unsubstantial.

That prompted EU officials to schedule official meetings with US officials. With the U.S. now putting these meetings on the back burner, the EU may be forced to come up with an alternative plan.

"If the U.S. continues to blow these talks off, there could be severe trade repercussions," said Casino Gambling Web analyst Gordon Price. "But they do not seem concerned with any sanctions that might be coming."

Price believes the US may be stalling with both entities until they figure how to implement the UIGEA, the law that sparked all this controversy in 2006. There is a new Bill, HR 6663, that has been proposed that would clear up the ambiguous vernacular of the UIGEA, as well as give immunity to companies who willingly left the US market when the ill-conceived law was passed, but "it is not expected to get much support in Congress this session, since there are more pressing matters for Congress to deal with," Price said.

August 4, 2008
Posted By Bob Hartman
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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