WTO Announces Sanctions for Online Gambling Ban

January 7, 2008

The World Trade Organization has announced that they are agreeing with Antigua in the fight for online gambling and that they are ordering $21 million sanction against the United States. The WTO had warned the US that with the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that they could be getting themselves into trouble, but the US was too full of themselves to see that they were getting into some serious problems.

The WTO has ruled that the tiny Island of Antigua can now “violate copyright protections on goods like films and music.” This may not mean much to the US government, but for artists, filmmakers, authors, etc. this means a whole lot. They will be paying the price for the US’s refusal to reinstate online gambling in this country.

It also sets a scary precedent for the US, in that as a nation we have often times seen ourselves as untouchable, even indestructible. However, with the passing of the sanctions against us, we now see that this is no longer the case. It opens the door to other countries to bring suits against us as well, especially now that they know that the WTO will back them up.

Other countries could soon be getting the rights to violate intellectual property laws as well, and where will it stop? Probably not until the US decides to reverse the UIGEA and make online gambling legal again. With the US going after countries within our own borders for helping advertise online gambling, back before it was illegal, and people still participating in online gambling whenever they want, it would seem that they are in a rowboat without any oars.

However, the US is still blind to their own plight, and thus will not reverse the UIGEA. There are several bills that are hoping to make online gambling legal again by regulating it, so we can only hope that they come to their senses before more people are hurt by the sanctions.

 

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