Antigua and Barbuda’s attorney at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Mark Mendel says he does not expect December’s disappointing USD 21 million arbitrated award to affect the results of a second arbitration process between the two countries. Late last month Antigua and Barbuda filed a notice at the WTO requesting arbitration on the issue of the US declaration that it is withdrawing from its General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) commitment that allows trade access in respect of remote gaming.

The international Internet gambling dispute continues. Costa Rica and Antigua separately filed for World Trade Organization arbitration, seeking compensation from the United States as a result of the US withdrawal of its commitment on cross-border gambling services. The new arbitration requests could potentially derail the settlement for compensation agreed to late last year by the US and the EU.

Washington: Antigua and Barbuda's Minister of Finance and the Economy Dr Errol Cort held wide ranging discussions on the internet gaming dispute in Washington on Thursday with his ministerial counterpart from the Office of the US Trade Representative, Ambassador Susan Schwab. "Clearly this is first and foremost about establishing lines of communication at the government-to-government level.

Antigua and Barbuda’s prime minister says he is hopeful that weekend meetings with members of the U.S. Congress would help resolve an ongoing trade battle with the United States over Internet gambling. Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer discussed the dispute with New York Democrat Representative Charles Rangel, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and three other members of the Congressional Black Caucus Sunday on the sidelines of a regional business conference.

A Harrison County judge has ruled a Biloxi woman did not win the USD 1 million jackpot she claimed at the IP Casino. The ruling this week by Circuit Judge Roger Clark overturned a Mississippi Gaming Commission decision that sided with Florida Eash in her dispute with the casino. The IP Casino argued Eash was owed only USD 8,000 - the top winning amount showed on the machine's sign. The casino said a technician for International Game Technology mistakenly programmed the slot machine to be a stand-alone progressive.

Europe and the United States are on the brink of a major trade dispute worth billions of pounds over Washington’s decision to renege on international trade commitments and protect its domestic gambling industry by preventing foreign companies from entering the lucrative market. The Remote Gambling Association (RGA), whose members include such household names as Labrokes, Skybet, William Hill and Paddy Power, said yesterday that the US action, if unchallenged, could lead to similar protectionist behaviour in other areas.

The fight has been long and hard as jurisdictions around the world have sought to get the United States to ease up on restrictions against Internet gaming going as far as to suggest that what that country is doing must be illegal as far as consumer protection is concerned. This, of course, is mostly from the perspective of those within the United Sates who have become used to a certain freedom when it comes to wagering.

Antigua and Barbuda’s claims against the US are likely to reach as high as USD 7 billion as the Internet gambling dispute continues. Antigua and Barbuda’s attorney at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Mark Mendel has warned the US to expect billions more in sanctions. Meanwhile, the country prepares to file its claim in respect of America’s decision to withdraw from its General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) commitment to international market access in the areas of gambling and betting services.

Geneva: The tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda slammed the United States over its illegal restrictions on Internet gambling sites based overseas and asked other countries to join in seeking compensation from Washington for its failure to comply with global trade rules. Antigua, the smallest country to successfully litigate a case in the World Trade Organization's 12-year-history.