|
 Hillary Clinton
on Bill O'Reilly: We
Will File Complaints
With the WTO
Nearly all the OPEC
members are also
members of the World
Trade Organization
and US Presidential
candidate Hillary
Clinton said on Bill
O'Reilly Wednesday
night that her
administration will
file complaints with
the WTO if need be.
And that brings us
to an interesting
situation.
Under
the Bush
Administration, the
US Government has
ignored a World
Trade Organization
decision issued in
regard to online
gambling. That
complaint was filed
by Antigua.
Antigua is a
recognized centre
for online gambling
companies. Antigua
was one of the first
nations to legalize,
license and regulate
online gaming. Some
countries, most
notably the United
States, argue that
because the gaming
transaction is
initiated in their
jurisdictions that
the act of online
wagering is illegal.
This
argument has been
repudiated by the
World Trade
Organization.
However in 2006 the
United States
Congress voted to
approve the Unlawful
Internet Gaming
Enforcement Act
which criminalizes
the operations of
offshore gaming
operators which take
wagers from
American-based
gamblers.
The
WTO has called that
"protectionism".
Antigua continues to
argue that the
United States has
failed to abide by
the decision passed
down by the World
Trade Organization.
This
places the US in a
bit of a pickle.
How can the United
States Government
require OPEC nations
to abide by WTO
rules when the US
itself has failed to
do so?
It
can be assumed that
the Clinton
administration would
work to adhere to
the decision related
to online gambling.
Clinton incidentally
performed well
during Wednesday
night's pre-taped
interview. The
second part airs
Thursday night.
----
Christopher
Costigan,
Gambling911.com
Publisher
CCostigan@CostiganMedia.com
Originally published
April 30, 2008 8:25
pm EST |
