EC Investigation Finds US Breaking Law

March 31, 2009

It should not come as a big surprise to many that other countries are against the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 � or UIGEA. Many countries have come after us in regards to the online gambling ban, most notably the European Commission and the tiny country of Antigua. However, the EC has finally finished their paperwork on the subject and they say that we are violating trade agreements that we have with the union.

They have recently released the results of their investigation which state that the laws against online gambling are not justified and are discriminatory against other countries. They say that the treatment of foreign online gambling operators by the US is a barrier to market access for the other European countries and is �inconsistent with World Trade Organization rules.�

They are insisting that the Obama administration and Congress change their laws to regulate online gambling, and that they should be looking at other ways of dealing with the problem at hand. They say that they are currently �keeping in place a protectionist trade policy that hypocritically discriminates against foreign online gambling operators."

They say that it is up to the US to decide how they want to regulate online gambling, but that they are asking them to do it in a way that fully respects their WTO �obligations.� They say that they are sure that they can come to some kind of agreement, especially now that there is a different administration in office � one that has already seemed open to regulating online gambling.








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