Antigua-Barbuda makes submissions to US Congress on gaming laws
By CaribbeanNetNews.com
WASHINGTON, USA: The influential Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives met recently to consider the so-called ‘Goodlatte and Leach Internet Gaming Bills’ and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda was given an opportunity to make written submissions to the Committee in respect of the proposed Bills.
Notwithstanding these and other submissions, the Committee nevertheless voted in favour of the Bills.
“The approval by the Judiciary Committee of the so-called ‘Goodlatte and Leach Internet Gaming Bills’, represents a troubling about-turn by an important arm of the US Government in response to the crystal-clear recommendations and rulings of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO),” said Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Finance and the Economy, Dr Errol Cort.
“It would appear from the voting pattern within the Committee, which adopted the Goodlatte Bill by a vote of 25 to 11, that a number of the Committee members had concerns with the Bill in its current form,” said the Minister.
(snip)
“...I felt that it was important to make our concerns known. Our Ambassador to the WTO...was therefore instructed to formally notify the Chairman of the Committee... that, in our view, each Bill is not only non-responsive to the rulings and recommendations of the DSB, but is directly contrary to the DSB rulings in our WTO dispute with the US in several key respects,” said the Minister.
(snip)
He further noted that while the “Leach Bill” does not expressly purport to prohibit any class of remote gambling and betting or further criminalize remote betting per se, it sought to criminalize facilitation of or participation in certain financial transactions associated with what the legislation defines as “unlawful Internet gambling.”
The Goodlatte Bill also includes prohibitions on certain financial transactions similar to those contained in the Leach Bill in its proposed amendments to the Wire Act.
Kaye MacDonald, Director of the Division of Gaming, the Directorate of Offshore Gaming, said: “At least, these US lawmakers are aware of the fact that, in our view, the Goodlatte Bill violates international trade laws established by the World Trade Organization. And I share the view that the Goodlatte Bill does not actually target US citizens who engage in Internet gambling but is limited only to the off-shore companies that offer online gambling.”
Mark Mendel, Legal Adviser to the Government on its WTO case also expressed concerns with the ‘Leach Bill,” which he notes is intended to “…amend the US federal criminal code to prohibit persons engaged in the business of betting or wagering from knowingly accepting credit, electronic fund transfers, checks, drafts, or similar instruments, or the proceeds of any other financial transaction in connection with unlawful Internet gambling.”
(snip)
Full article: http://www.therx.com/blog_antigua-barbuda-makes-submissions-to-us-congress-on-gaming-laws.php
By CaribbeanNetNews.com
WASHINGTON, USA: The influential Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives met recently to consider the so-called ‘Goodlatte and Leach Internet Gaming Bills’ and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda was given an opportunity to make written submissions to the Committee in respect of the proposed Bills.
Notwithstanding these and other submissions, the Committee nevertheless voted in favour of the Bills.
“The approval by the Judiciary Committee of the so-called ‘Goodlatte and Leach Internet Gaming Bills’, represents a troubling about-turn by an important arm of the US Government in response to the crystal-clear recommendations and rulings of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO),” said Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Finance and the Economy, Dr Errol Cort.
“It would appear from the voting pattern within the Committee, which adopted the Goodlatte Bill by a vote of 25 to 11, that a number of the Committee members had concerns with the Bill in its current form,” said the Minister.
(snip)
“...I felt that it was important to make our concerns known. Our Ambassador to the WTO...was therefore instructed to formally notify the Chairman of the Committee... that, in our view, each Bill is not only non-responsive to the rulings and recommendations of the DSB, but is directly contrary to the DSB rulings in our WTO dispute with the US in several key respects,” said the Minister.
(snip)
He further noted that while the “Leach Bill” does not expressly purport to prohibit any class of remote gambling and betting or further criminalize remote betting per se, it sought to criminalize facilitation of or participation in certain financial transactions associated with what the legislation defines as “unlawful Internet gambling.”
The Goodlatte Bill also includes prohibitions on certain financial transactions similar to those contained in the Leach Bill in its proposed amendments to the Wire Act.
Kaye MacDonald, Director of the Division of Gaming, the Directorate of Offshore Gaming, said: “At least, these US lawmakers are aware of the fact that, in our view, the Goodlatte Bill violates international trade laws established by the World Trade Organization. And I share the view that the Goodlatte Bill does not actually target US citizens who engage in Internet gambling but is limited only to the off-shore companies that offer online gambling.”
Mark Mendel, Legal Adviser to the Government on its WTO case also expressed concerns with the ‘Leach Bill,” which he notes is intended to “…amend the US federal criminal code to prohibit persons engaged in the business of betting or wagering from knowingly accepting credit, electronic fund transfers, checks, drafts, or similar instruments, or the proceeds of any other financial transaction in connection with unlawful Internet gambling.”
(snip)
Full article: http://www.therx.com/blog_antigua-barbuda-makes-submissions-to-us-congress-on-gaming-laws.php
