ANTIGUA NEWSPAPER: Antigua welcomes latest WTO ruling in gaming dispute with US

[clevfan]

Antigua welcomes latest WTO ruling in gaming dispute with US

Monday August 22 2005
ANTIGUA SUN


ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Antigua & Barbuda has welcomed the latest World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling in its Internet gaming case against the United States.

Washington has until next April to comply with a ruling about US restrictions on cross border gaming on the Internet, a WTO arbitrator ruled.

The arbitrator, Claus-Dieter Ehlermann, set the “reasonable period of time” for the US to adapt its legislation in line with the ruling, which was issued in April this year after the government here brought Washington before the global trade referee.

“I am pleased to see that the arbitrator has decided in favour of our cogent arguments that the shortest possible time period be given to the US to implement the recommendations,” Dr Errol Cort, the finance and economy minister who also has overall responsibility for this issue, said.


“We believe that in his decision to grant the US a time period of eleven months and two weeks from the date of the adoption of the WTO’s Appellate Body Report, or approximately eight months from today’s date, the arbitrator has sent a clear message to the US that it is expected to comply fully with the recommendations and rulings of the DSB (Dispute Settlement Body,) and to do so within a clearly defined timeframe” he added.

The US had argued that it would need a minimum of 15 months to implement the recommendations, citing a lengthy and complicated legislative process.

Ehlermann said the reasons given did not “suffice to discharge the United States’ burden of persuading me that 15 months would be a reasonable period of time for implementation in this dispute, particularly given the acknowledged flexibility in the United States legislative process.”

Had Washington’s request been granted, the US would have had until the end of July 2006, instead of 3 April 2006, to implement the recommendations.

“Ideally, we would have preferred even a shorter timeframe,” Mark Mendel, Antigua & Barbuda’s legal adviser said.

“For us, even a period of one month is too long. Under the circumstances, however, we are very pleased with the outcome,” he added.

“At the end of day, in this case, April 3, 2006, we hope that the US will present to the Appellate Body, a comprehensive plan on how it intends to grant full market access to our gaming operators,” Ms. Kaye MacDonald, director of gaming said.

“Before anyone forgets, this after all, is the primary reason we brought the case to the WTO in the first place,” she added.

Antigua argued in the complaint it launched in March 2003 that US prohibitions were harming its online gaming business, which is aimed at reducing the island’s economic dependence on tourism.

Antigua is a centre for offshore Internet gaming operations, attracting large numbers of US residents to its virtual casino-style games and betting services.

US officials contended Internet gambling is illegal if it involves activity on US soil, and have vowed to prosecute those involved in the practice.

Antigua and Barbuda’s delegation to the WTO will now have to ensure that the US regularly informs the meetings of the DSB on steps it is taking, to implement the recommendations and rulings of the Appellate Body, the government said yesterday in a release.

[buddyboy]

I hope this isn't like the time the UN told the US not to go to war with Iraq, but did so anyway.

Does the WTO really have more power than the UN?

[jimmy the greek]

''come on bush invade these banana republics, they are nothing but scofflaws''

how long before it comes to that?

[HabsGR]

Depends if Jeb gets elected next or not!

HabsGR

[pokerking]

The US never complies with WTO organization rulings. Canada won their ruling on softwood lumber and the US isn't complying with that one either.