Antigua Bows To U.S. Again In Internet Gambling Feud

The United States is used to getting their way when it comes to negotiations with other countries. That is what is making an Internet gambling feud so tough for U.S. negotiators. The country is actually wrong in their feud with Antigua.

All the United States did was destroy a major market in Antigua, Internet gambling. When the U.S. cut off Americans from gambling online, they basically ripped apart the market in Antigua.

The World Trade Organization has already sided with Antigua in the dispute, and allowed for $21 million in sanctions against the U.S.. The two sides have been negotiating a settlement to the dispute, and Antigua keeps pushing back the deadline in hopes the United States will compensate them fairly.

Unfortunately, that will most likely not be the case. The longer the U.S. can drag out the negotiations, the longer they will have before they actually have to give Antigua anything. For the U.S., time is on their side.

Antigua still believes that the United States is negotiating in good faith. Representatives from the U.S. have been in Antigua. The group of six people was led by Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador John Veroneau.

Antigua Finance Minister Dr. Errol Cort said that they keep extending the deadlines so that talks can remain active between the two sides. Basically, he is saying that without the deadlines the U.S. will walk away and ignore that their feud with Antigua even exists.

August 1st is now the new deadline before World Trade Organization legal measures will be put into effect. Even though there is a target date, there is no guaranteeing an agreement will be reached by then. Eve4n Cort does not see that as a strong possibility.

"If you ask me realistically how much longer I think it would take to really come to some agreement that could be signed off on both sides, to fully flesh and ventilate the issues on the table...I would say that period would be perhaps over the next two to three months or so," said Cort.

July 19, 2008
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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