US’s UIGEA Under Attack Again

February 14, 2008

It seems that everyone is after the online gambling ban that the United States has tried to pass off. Various online gambling interests have gotten involved and are working to see that the US lifts its ban on the processing of payments for online gambling. Even as the US is attempting to make the online gambling ban even stricter, smaller countries are whittling away at it.

Last year the tiny island of Antigua, who depends on its online gambling dollars to exist, won $21 million in compensation for trade disparity. They took their case to the World Trade Organization and asked them to mediate. The WTO told the US what they needed to do, the US refused to comply, and Antigua won.

Now Costa Rica has also filed against the US for the same online gambling issues. They have also asked the WTO to mediate for them. This of course comes right after the Remote Gambling Association had lodged a complaint with the European Commission regarding what? You guessed it, the online gambling ban that the US has steadfastly stood by much to their detriment.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, or UIGEA, has caused endless problems for the US, as well as money lost out of its taxpayer’s pockets. Much of Europe is angered by the US’s laissez-faire attitude regarding their opinions on the UIGEA. They say that the US holds other countries to a standard that they themselves do not follow – as can be seen with the online gambling ban. They say that online gambling is illegal, yet they allow it with their horse racing and lotteries in the country which simply means they have created a monopoly for those industries.

The European Commission will now decide whether or not to open an investigation into the online gambling matter, and those that have filed are confident that they will. Antigua and Costa Rica have filed against them as well, with Antigua citing that the reparations that have been made are not enough and they are seeking more in damages. The RGA is simply looking for the US to reopen its online gambling borders.



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