Optimism From Antigua WTO Delegates on Gamibling Issue
http://www.caribbeanpressreleases.com/articles/920/1/Optimism-From-Antigua-WTO-Delegates-on-Gamibling-Issue/Page1.html
S Coward
By S Coward
Published on 02-Dec-06
2 Dec. 2006 --- (online-casinos.com): The World Trade Organisation (WTO) held two days of hearings in Geneva
this week (see previous Online-Casinos.com/InfoPowa reports) on Antigua
and Barbuda's internet gaming dispute with the United States, from
which delegates from the Caribbean island government emerged optimistic.
Hearings in Geneva received impressive support
2 Dec. 2006 --- (online-casinos.com): The World Trade Organisation (WTO) held two days of hearings in Geneva
this week (see previous Online-Casinos.com/InfoPowa reports) on Antigua
and Barbuda's internet gaming dispute with the United States, from
which delegates from the Caribbean island government emerged optimistic.
Dr. Errol Cort, the finance minister of Antigua said the Caribbean country's position was backed by big trading partners of the U.S., including China, Japan and members of the European Union.
"Major trading partners of the United States have seen it fit to join with us in contesting what we have always maintained is a dispute about granting market access," said Cort in a statement to the media from Geneva, Switzerland, home of the WTO.
"What is even more remarkable is that they chose to become active players in this WTO process, and we believe that a crucial factor in their respective decisions to do so was the pure merits of our case."
The EU's stance on the issue was not surprising given the US$15.5 billion value tag on the industry and the fallout felt by mostly British-based online betting companies after U.S. president George W. Bush signed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act into law, criminalising the processing and settlement of payment linked to online gaming transactions by banks and credit card companies, he added.
Mark Mendel, Antigua and Barbuda's legal adviser, said the panel would have followed up the talks with a series of questions by to the disputing parties, as well as third party interests, the answers to which were to be submitted to the panel within a week.
A record of the hearings is to be published December 22, and an interim report on January 11.
"On receipt of the interim report, the parties will be given a period of time to submit their comments and observations on the panel's rulings and recommendations, before the final report is made available to the entire WTO membership sometime in early February 2007," said Cort's statement.
"We have every reason to be confident that - given the merits of our case and the fact that the U.S., having given an undertaking to do so, has done nothing to bring itself into compliance with rulings and recommendations of the DSB - we will prevail at this stage," said Kaye MacDonald, Antigua's Director of Gaming.
Dr. Errol Cort, the finance minister of Antigua said the Caribbean country's position was backed by big trading partners of the U.S., including China, Japan and members of the European Union.
"Major trading partners of the United States have seen it fit to join with us in contesting what we have always maintained is a dispute about granting market access," said Cort in a statement to the media from Geneva, Switzerland, home of the WTO.
"What is even more remarkable is that they chose to become active players in this WTO process, and we believe that a crucial factor in their respective decisions to do so was the pure merits of our case."
The EU's stance on the issue was not surprising given the US$15.5 billion value tag on the industry and the fallout felt by mostly British-based online betting companies after U.S. president George W. Bush signed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act into law, criminalising the processing and settlement of payment linked to online gaming transactions by banks and credit card companies, he added.
Mark Mendel, Antigua and Barbuda's legal adviser, said the panel would have followed up the talks with a series of questions by to the disputing parties, as well as third party interests, the answers to which were to be submitted to the panel within a week.
A record of the hearings is to be published December 22, and an interim report on January 11.
"On receipt of the interim report, the parties will be given a period of time to submit their comments and observations on the panel's rulings and recommendations, before the final report is made available to the entire WTO membership sometime in early February 2007," said Cort's statement.
"We have every reason to be confident that - given the merits of our case and the fact that the U.S., having given an undertaking to do so, has done nothing to bring itself into compliance with rulings and recommendations of the DSB - we will prevail at this stage," said Kaye MacDonald, Antigua's Director of Gaming.