CARICOM Supports Antigua's Online Gambling Initiative

Speaking at a Press briefing during the 28th CARICOM Heads of Government Conference at Hilton Barbados, Antigua's Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer said the CARICOM position was that Antigua's position regarding online gambling should be supported and the final communiqué should reflect this.

CARICOM is an economic linkage between the English-speaking countries of the Caribbean made up of several island nations including Barbados, Jamaica and Antigua. 

Antigua won a landmark decision against the United States in the World Trade Organization whereby the WTO found that the US was wrong to have imposed a ban on Internet gambling.

"We recognise that the United States may have some concerns but we believe they could be addressed, provided that they accept the principle that we have the right to trade with the United States in financial services [in accordance with] WTO regulations, which the United States of America has signed on to," Spencer said yesterday.

Antigua has also gained the support of the European Union, Brazil, Costa Rica, Japan, India and China.

"The view of CARICOM is that this issue really goes beyond Antigua and Barbuda – it has to do with the whole concept of trading in services. Other CARICOM territories are pushing very much into the area of financial services.

"If the US were to be let off totally on this, it could jeopardise this, because right now some of the jurisdictions in the region, including Barbados, Antigua and a number of others, are considered tax havens and would fall under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's harmful taxation list. It has some very serious implications," Spencer added.

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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com

Originally published July 5, 2007 10:07 am ET