Antigua seeks EU Support on WTO case against US Online Gambling Laws

When EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy recently called the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) 'protectionist', Antigua & Barbuda's World Trade Organization (WTO) Attorney Mark Mendel took great notice.

Mendel said he will seek to meet with McCreevy soon, to explore how his country's WTO trade dispute case with the US could benefit from expanded EU support.

McCreevy indicated he would pursue the UIGEA legislative issue with his US counterparts when he visits America in March, but he has also made it clear that a WTO battle is not at the top of the EU's agenda.

Mendel said it was unlikely the EU would bring its own case in the short term, since EU member states have not been able to agree on the issue of online gaming amongst themselves.

"What I do think they can do is add support to our case and help encourage us to get the right results, so I think they can be very helpful. They may be able to provide us with some support at the governmental level that could be beneficial to us," Mendel said.

At the same time, Mendel said that Antigua & Barbuda has to be cautious that its concerns and its fight were not overshadowed by the interests of wealthier nations.

"We always have to be considerate of bigger countries following on our heels and wiping out the value that we've put in to this," Mendel told the Antigua Sun.

He said a real risk is that the US decides to continue its restrictive focus and succeeds in wiping out the Antiguan industry, then turns around and allows all of the Las Vegas companies to offer the same services.

Regarding the status of the WTO case, Mendel and Director of Gaming Kaye McDonald have said they would not breach a confidentiality restriction imposed by the WTO.

But Gretchen Hamel, a spokesperson for the office of the US Trade Representative, did say that the WTO panel did not agree that the United States had taken the necessary steps to comply with the earlier WTO ruling in Antigua & Barbuda's favor.

The final WTO ruling in the Antigua Barbuda case against the US is due out in March.

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