This
is a win - win situation as far as we are concerned.
Neither side really came out ahead. As reported by:
CIO Today:
The United States and Antigua both claimed to be winners
Thursday after the World Trade Organization partly reversed
an earlier ruling on US restrictions on cross-border
gaming on the Internet. A WTO appeals body accepted
that prohibitions in some US states on cross-border
gaming were valid and agreed with Washington's argument
that some federal laws could "protect public morals
or maintain public order." The
appeal had followed an earlier ruling by the WTO's
disputes settlement body entirely favoring a complaint
brought by the tiny Caribbean island of Antigua and
Barbuda. The decision on Thursday effectively allowed
state laws in Louisiana, Massachusetts, South Dakota
and Utah, reversing the previous negative ruling.
Acting US Trade Representative Peter Allgeier welcomed
the decision, claiming a "win." "US
restrictions on Internet gambling can be maintained.
This report essentially says that if we clarify US
Internet gambling restrictions in certain ways we'll
be fine," he told AFP. But the Caribbean island
also claimed in a statement that the decision was
"a landmark victory for Antigua as the smallest
WTO member to defeat the United States, the largest
member."
Posted
by Dave Thursday at 9:55am |
