US, Antigua Break Off Talks on Internet Gambling

Wynn · Aug 7, 2006

US, Antigua Break Off Talks on Internet Gambling

Monday, Aug 7, 2006

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and the tiny Caribbean state of Antigua and Barbuda have broken off talks to resolve a high stakes dispute over the U.S. ban on Internet gambling, a U.S. trade official said on Thursday.
"Unfortunately we were not able to reach a settlement," despite several meetings over the past four months," said Richard Mills, a spokesman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office.
Online gambling has grown rapidly, with spending of around $7.5 billion this year, according to industry estimates.
In a decision that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick called "deeply flawed," a World Trade Organization panel agreed earlier this year with Antigua and Barbuda's claim that the United States' ban on Internet gambling violated global trade rules.
Although Zoellick said the United States would appeal, the two sides suspended litigation in June in the hopes of reaching a negotiated settlement.
"Our delegation presented a number of proposals for the U.S.'s consideration, but, sadly, they were not prepared to accept them," Harold Lovell, minister of tourism, foreign affairs and international transport and trade for the twin-island Caribbean state, said in a statement last Friday.
"What they offered as an alternative was not acceptable to us," Lovell added.
Trade officials said Antigua and Barbuda was expected to formally notify the WTO on Nov. 4 that it wants to resume the litigation process. That would clear the way for the WTO to publicly release the panel ruling and for the United States to proceed with its appeal.

What really sucks is that it gives the Senate time to pass a bill prior to Antigua actually filing any litigation.

TTinCO · Aug 7, 2006

"Unfortunately we were not able to reach a settlement"

How can the US even use the word settlement. It's quite obvious that they have no intention of giving in to ANYTHING....not in the least bit.

passingthewind · Aug 7, 2006

U would think at some point a light bulb would go off and say, okay let's regulate it and tax it.

sean1 · Aug 7, 2006

I hope Antigua sets up shop and sells every DVD, CD, and Computer Program made in the US for a dollar until the US complies...

red007 · Aug 7, 2006

TTinCO said:
"Unfortunately we were not able to reach a settlement"

How can the US even use the word settlement. It's quite obvious that they have no intention of giving in to ANYTHING....not in the least bit.

another lie from the US govt. nothing new.

sean1 · Aug 7, 2006

I don't think you could legalize it and tax it. If you legalize it, big corporations would set up offshore and simply offer wagering under legit names offshore without the taxes.

You can't do this in most cases because of import/export taxes, but since these don't exist (The DOJ somehow thinks you export a bet, but no other country seems to agree) there would be no taxes.

Places like MGM would just create MGM in Antigua if it was legal to offer US people bets.

-Sean

Wynn · Aug 7, 2006

It will be interesting if the UK gets dragged into the litigation in November since they also "export" internet gambling.

TheWolf · Aug 7, 2006

hahahaha Gov should just look the other way on this and forget about it........funny thing is a lot of the politicians are in their 60's 70's and 80's and they don't understand any of this interent shizzzit.

TheWolf · Aug 7, 2006

Can someone please elaborate on how the above nes is good/ or bad.

fivestarjake · Aug 7, 2006

i thought antigua already made a complaint with the wto and is currently waiting on a decision

RightAngle · Aug 7, 2006

I think it could be regulated because big brand names such us Bellagio, Mirage, MGM, Caesars, Harrahs, etc would have a huge marketing advantage over existing offshore entities.

BadCo · Aug 7, 2006

sean1 said:
I don't think you could legalize it and tax it. If you legalize it, big corporations would set up offshore and simply offer wagering under legit names offshore without the taxes.

You can't do this in most cases because of import/export taxes, but since these don't exist (The DOJ somehow thinks you export a bet, but no other country seems to agree) there would be no taxes.

Places like MGM would just create MGM in Antigua if it was legal to offer US people bets.

-Sean

Not if they were to make it legal from Nevada based sites only kinda like the land based is now?

I would much rather put my money in a US based location than to sweat my money off-shore where snakes like BOS rule.

TTinCO · Aug 7, 2006

ACE IN THE HOLE said:
Can someone please elaborate on how the above nes is good/ or bad.

I think it's pretty much irrelevant-old news, and really just more of the same.

It probably went something like this.....The US was told that they need to comply with the WTO ruling, the US said no-end of discussion.

TomBrady#1 · Aug 7, 2006

TTinCO said:
I think it's pretty much irrelevant-old news, and really just more of the same.

It probably went something like this.....The US was told that they need to comply with the WTO ruling, the US said no-end of discussion.

Yes. This sounds about right from top to bottom.

Wynn · Aug 7, 2006

I interpret this as negative news in that it further confirms the US lack of regard for the WTO ruling and any progress on Antigua's litigation won't be made until November. The Senate anti-gambling bill proponents will further discount the WTO litigation issue when it is debated in September.

Sugarbear · Aug 7, 2006

ACE IN THE HOLEhahahaha Gov should just look the other way on this and forget about it........funny thing is a lot of the politicians are in their 60's 70's and 80's and they don't understand any of this interent shizzzit.

Very sharp post. The true power behind the scenes have been doing this going back at least to the Omnibus and Safe Streets act of 1968 are the ones driving this in the end. Many of the 60 year olds doing the real work today, interned and worked for a number of the 70 and 80 year old ones.
That group goes back to the wire act and have wasted a lifetime trying to shut down the gambling buisness to no avail. ITS PERSONAL. FUCK REGULATION. After a lifetime why would they change there tune now?

Woody0 · Aug 7, 2006

kwalder said:
I interpret this as negative news in that it further confirms the US lack of regard for the WTO ruling and any progress on Antigua's litigation won't be made until November. The Senate anti-gambling bill proponents will further discount the WTO litigation issue when it is debated in September.

WTO signatories have agreed to an international treaty and as such it is already part of US law, having been ratified.

Two member states currently have a dispute about interpretation, which the US has lost. As it happens the US never loses but negotiates and appeals until it gets what it wants.

JayC · Aug 7, 2006

kwalder said:
US, Antigua Break Off Talks on Internet Gambling

Monday, Aug 7, 2006

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and the tiny Caribbean state of Antigua and Barbuda have broken off talks to resolve a high stakes dispute over the U.S. ban on Internet gambling, a U.S. trade official said on Thursday.
"Unfortunately we were not able to reach a settlement," despite several meetings over the past four months," said Richard Mills, a spokesman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office.
Online gambling has grown rapidly, with spending of around $7.5 billion this year, according to industry estimates.
In a decision that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick called "deeply flawed," a World Trade Organization panel agreed earlier this year with Antigua and Barbuda's claim that the United States' ban on Internet gambling violated global trade rules.
Although Zoellick said the United States would appeal, the two sides suspended litigation in June in the hopes of reaching a negotiated settlement.
"Our delegation presented a number of proposals for the U.S.'s consideration, but, sadly, they were not prepared to accept them," Harold Lovell, minister of tourism, foreign affairs and international transport and trade for the twin-island Caribbean state, said in a statement last Friday.
"What they offered as an alternative was not acceptable to us," Lovell added.
Trade officials said Antigua and Barbuda was expected to formally notify the WTO on Nov. 4 that it wants to resume the litigation process. That would clear the way for the WTO to publicly release the panel ruling and for the United States to proceed with its appeal.

There is something very wrong with this article. It's all very old information. I can tell by the way they talk about "releasing the panel ruling." The November 4th it is referring to in the article is November 4th, 2004.

Zoelick hasn't been the US Trade Represenatative for a year now.

I don't know where that article came from and why it is dated August 7, 2006.

fivestarjake · Aug 7, 2006

thats what i was trying to say earlier.

Wynn · Aug 7, 2006

Jay C said:
There is something very wrong with this article. It's all very old information. I can tell by the way they talk about "releasing the panel ruling." The November 4th it is referring to in the article is November 4th, 2004.

Zoelick hasn't been the US Trade Represenatative for a year now.

I don't know where that article came from and why it is dated August 7, 2006.

Here's the link: http://www.mycaribbeannews.com/news/041101.htm