United States and Antigua Dispute Over Anti-Gambling Laws - Second WTO Ruling Goes Against U.S.

Looks like the United States government doesn't know its ass from a legal loophole. Four years ago, the World Trade Organization ruled that the U.S. was not in compliance with international law. Since that time, the U.S. Trade Representative has acted like that ruling didn't exist.

The Bush administration has been trying to ban U.S. citizens from playing at internet casinos based out of Antigua and Barbuda for years now. Unfortunately for them, they had a ruling go against them in the first hearing at the W.T.O. court in Switzerland. So they simply ignored the ruling. The WTO is of no use if it can't be depended to side with the U.S. of A.

This tactic from the Bush Administration is getting a little old. They don't like situations where they can't dictate the terms. Negotiation is a four letter word to them. When somebody disagrees with them, they take their toys and go home. It's like a child throwing a fit. "George isn't talking to you anymore, WTO. George wants me to tell you he's ignoring you."

Administration lawyers resubmitted their case to the WTO recently. The lawyers claimed the passage of several new anti-gambling laws put them in compliance with the original WTO ruling. This flies in the face of all logic and good sense.

According to a WTO agreement the United States signed in good faith, one country cannot prohibit another country from providing a service if it allows its own citizens to provide that service. So if a WTO country makes allows its citizens to provide gambling, that country cannot bar other nations from providing that same service. It's all about keeping one nation from imposing using its law to affect the revenues of another member nation. That's kind of what the World Trade Organization is about.

In the case of the U.S., it leaves loopholes in its anti-gambling laws to allow horse track betting. If the states allow horsetrack betting, they can't bar Antigua and Barbuda from doing the same.

Well, trying to impose these new laws on Antigua is definitely not in the spirit of the WTO agreement. So the court found the U.S. was no more in compliance now than it was four years ago.

The U.S. has 30 days to appeal this ruling. When it inevitably loses that appeal, Antigua and Barbuda can move forward with WTO-backed trade sanctions against the United States.

United States and Antigua Dispute Over Anti-Gambling Laws - Second WTO Ruling Goes Against U.S.