WOW, WU SUSPENDS ANTIGUA OFFICES.... MORE GAMING WOES ... US takes aim at Antigua Internet gambling industry again

clevfan · 01-11-2006, 01:48 PM

MORE GAMING WOES ... US takes aim at Antigua Internet gambling industry again

Wednesday January 11 2006

by Marabel Jacobs

Speculation is rife that the week long closure of Western Union offices in Antigua & Barbuda is another move by the powerful United States to restrain gaming companies operating in Antigua & Barbuda.

Consultant and former Director of Offshore Gaming Ron Maginley said the Western Union situation has to be seen in the perspective of the WTO issue with Antigua & Barbuda and the US.

“As far as I am aware it is the only jurisdiction for which it has done this closure.

“I don’t know whether or not this is because of gaming, but certainly questions arise as to why Western Union would have taken a unilateral decision to only shut down offices within Antigua & Barbuda in light of our continued action at the WTO.”

He explained that a number of international gaming companies have made use of Western Union as simply one of a number of payment solutions.

Maginley said government should be very concerned that Western Union offices had been closed, denying gaming companies in Antigua & Barbuda another means in terms of facilitating remittances from their companies.

“That’s if Western Union was being utilised by companies here for that purpose.

“I certainly think the government, and I hope they have done so, raises this as simply the latest issue of pressure being put on the part of the US on companies that provide services to companies conducting legitimate business in Antigua & Barbuda and should insist that Western Union, if it has been providing services to gaming companies, be allowed to do so.”

The SUN learnt that Western Union International suspended all services by its franchise in Antigua and halted operations by the four branches, pending satisfactory completion of a review.

Contacted yesterday in the US, Western Union’s Director of Communica-tions Lori Varsames, said, “Western Union is temporarily suspending service to and from the island of Antigua.

“The suspension is the result of an ongoing internal review. All transactions to Antigua, which have not been received, would be refunded to the centre.”

Varsamas said Western Union monitors its business and periodically conducts routine reviews of its agent base and during the course of such a review, “we identify certain circumstances, which require further attention.”

No time line was given as to when the review would be completed, only that it was ongoing, “so obviously we would have representatives conducting those meetings appropriately.

“That’s part of our ongoing routine review with our entire agent base and we are working to complete the review now and it would be inappropriate for me to characterise our findings until the review is complete.

“The date for service restoration has not yet been fully determined, but we are working to restore that service.”

The SUN understands that a spontaneous closed-door audit was being undertaken which included the four outlets situated at Jolly Harbour, Spencer’s Supermarket, Liberta, M&M on Old Parham Road and British American on Redcliffe Street, whose operations have been suspended since last Thursday.

Maginley said the WTO matter, “which we have won both in the initial decision and on appeal, prohibits the US from enacting measures that denies access by companies, which would like to and are operating in Antigua & Barbuda in providing services to the US.”

He said Antigua & Barbuda has one of the best legislative environments for the Internet gaming industry in the world and is the only jurisdiction, which has allowed its gaming sector to be subject to review and was fully compliant with international requirements against money laundering.

The Actuary · 01-11-2006, 02:00 PM

I would think if they closed them due to the US Gov't-that when asked they would say that.

The author seems to be assuming alot-

how about contacting her to see if her brilliant reporting would shed some light on Hadeed?

The Major · 01-11-2006, 04:13 PM

TA, I sorta agree but I would not put it past the government, well this governement, to do a "fukc you" to Antigua. If Antigua can prove that the US DOJ did this with that in mind....look out.

the66er · 01-11-2006, 04:35 PM

thats how I sent alladins the money by Western Union------maybe they should shut it down [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

clevfan · 01-12-2006, 01:21 PM

Western Union apologises to govt

Thursday January 12 2006

A top Western Union official has apologised to the government for not apprising it of the suspension of the company’s operations in Antigua & Barbuda a week ago.

Hazel Beckles, Western Union’s regional manager, yesterday provided official notification to the Ministry of Finance and Economy about the suspension of services since last week Wednesday.

Beckles confirmed what had been already made public in yesterday’s edition of the SUN, when the company’s Director of Communications in the United States, Lori Varsames spoke to this newspaper and said, “Western Union is temporarily suspending service to and from the island of Antigua.”

Beckles explained to the government that the temporary suspension was due to a compliance audit being carried out by the head office.

Although she said the audit should be completed by today, she did not state when normal service would be resumed, but government said it hoped service can be resumed next week.

stevo · 01-12-2006, 01:51 PM

He said Antigua & Barbuda has one of the best legislative environments for the Internet gaming industry in the world and is the only jurisdiction, which has allowed its gaming sector to be subject to review and was fully compliant with international requirements against money laundering.

Yeah, the best.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-disgusted.gif[/img]

Conrad · 01-12-2006, 02:30 PM

Who needs Western Union anyway? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

When you have so many payment systems around, each of which can get you a wire transfer into your account the next morning. I remember using them a while back (yea, like 7 years ago) and haven't had to use them since.

If the betting industry overcame the loss of credit card deposits then Western Union is a small issue compared to that...