"The WTO Presents Its Ruling Regarding Online Gambling"

The results of the Antigua WTO ruling against the United States has been released. The United States isn’t exactly happy about it. But this isn’t the case for Antigua, which has been arguing that the United States prohibition of online gambling has directly affected their economy in a negative manner, and is therefore in violation of the General Agreement on Trades and Services (GATS), is very satisfied.

The United States has argued in defines of Antigua’s arguments, that their legal restrictions in effect help to prevent money laundering and act to protect vulnerable members of society. No one questions that the United States is very interested in protecting its own gambling industry, which is well established.

There is in fact no specific federal law that forbids online gambling but many of the states have established their own laws. There are however, some states that do allow for gambling and indeed there are casinos functioning in those states. Because of this Antigua has argued effectively that offshore gambling sites should be allowed equal access by the same degree to operating in America.

The United States officials are not completely unhappy since the WTO agreed to the U.S. claim that some restrictions are necessary so as to protect public morals and to maintain public order. In order for the United States to mention such restrictions with regard to online gambling they need to be clarified in a specific way.