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Antigua vs United States Online Gambling Ruling Delayed |
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Sunday, 16 December 2007 |
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The online gambling industry was disappointed on Friday with the World Trade Organization’s decision to delay once again its ruling on the Antigua vs US case. December 14th was the deadline given to the arbitration panel to reach a decision regarding the amount of money that the United States would need to pay Antigua after the former lost a case brought against it by the twin-state Caribbean island in 2005. The two sides failed to reach an agreed amount after intense negotiations, with Antigua demanding $3.4-billion while the United States countering with a much lower $500,000. Antigua and Barbuda is also seeking permission from the World Trade Organization to suspend all copyright protections on American media products, such as movies, CD’s and computer software, as a way to compensate its hard-hit national revenue. The country was heavily reliant on the income generated from the online gambling industry and was dealt a blow with the US’s blatant monopoly on its own markets, and the subsequent Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006. Representatives for Antigua said that they would be told of a new date for the ruling by Monday this week.
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