John J. Farmer, former attorney general of the State of New Jersey, doesn't see the bill to restrict online gambling lasting more than three years on the books.

I'd be surprised if this law is still in the books in three or four years time," he told the Associated Press. "But then again, I'm surprised that it exists at all."
 

"It was like watching sausage getting made," he told the e-comlaw Online Gambling conference in London.

Farmer said he didn't believe Congressmen really knew what the bill entailed.

"In 1999, there were operators taking bets and not paying when people won," he said. "What'll happen now is this bill will leave the field open to those very people who caused those problems in the first place -- the fly-by-night operators."

The World Trade Organization is due out with a decision in early December as to whether the US has been in compliance with a ruling made in favor of the tiny Caribbean island of Antigua, which basically stipulates the US cannot interfere with internet gambling activities of other jurisdictions.  The WTO is likely to find the US has not been in compliance.

Of importance here is that the US has filed a grievance with the World Trade Organization in regard to China and would most certainly need to abide by any other WTO decisions if they are to make any sort of headway in this matter.

Antiguan Finance Minister Dr. Errol Cort, Health Minister John Maginley, and Attorney-General Justin Simon, were all in Washington, D.C., on official business yesterday, participated in a town-hall meeting hosted by the Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda.

In speaking about their meetings with US Government officials, Attorney-General Simon noted that Antigua and Barbuda remains committed to finding an amicable resolution in its case against the United States on Internet gaming.

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Christopher Costigan, www.gambling911.com

Originally published October 5, 2006 12:35 pm ET