WTO - online gambling legal, USA - online gambling is still illegal

The small Caribbean Island, Antigua is pressing the WTO to enforce its rulings on the USA.
The small Island nation has been spurred on by the introduction of new legislation, designed by the American government to further prohibit online casino gaming in the USA.

Formal protests were recently launched by Antigua's representative in the World Trade Organization. He has made a formal protest to America's most recent efforts to criminalize internet gaming.
America continues to build legislative barriers to online gambling even though the WTO has ruled against these restrictions.
Antigua and Barbuda are small, low population Islands, whose declining tourism industry has spurred their governments to build their economies through the internet gambling industry.
In fact, a large portion of their populations already depend on this industry for their income.
To protect this vital source of revenue, Antigua has taken the US to the WTO over its federal laws banning betting across state lines through electronic means.

According to service sector commitments made in 1995, with the creation of WTO, the US is in violation of their obligations. This led Antigua, in 2003, to raise the legal issue in the WTO.
Remarkably, both sides claimed victory to the WTO's final decision, which was released last year. Nonetheless, the US did receive a letter outlining their obligation to revert two key legislative proposals.
Indeed, Rob Portman, the US Trade Representative, received a letter from Ashe, Anitgua's Ambassador to the WTO, which expressed concern over proposals essentially outlawing the internet gaming industry from US shores.
Within the letter he indicated how each bill lies contradictory to the recommendation of the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body. Ashe lodged further complaints against the US's lack of compliance, since the ruling they have made no move to comply.
While America was given an eleven month compliance period they have yet to introduce new legislation that would exhibit any form of compliance with the WTO's decree. The US has two more months left of this period.
According to a spokeswoman for the US Trade Representative's Office, America is exploring several options and recognizes they are still within their time allowance. 

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