WTO reaches compensation decision in online gambling dispute between US and Antigua
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The World Trade Organization released their arbitration report regarding the conflict between Antigua and the US today. The report detailed the compensation that Antigua is entitled to as a result of its successful complaint against the US. As a result of its successful complaint, recorded at the WTO as “United States — Measures affecting the cross-border supply of gambling and betting services”, Antigua was awarded approximately $21 million a year in sanctions which it may exercise by targeting U.S. services, copyrights and trademarks.
The ruling was viewed as a disappointment by a majority of the online gaming community, which had hoped for a WTO decision of greater impact that might motivate the US Government to act on a legislative level to avoid sanctions. The current magnitude of sanctions awarded, while far greater than the $500,000 the US Government claimed that Antigua deserved, is unlikely to directly result in any such change in the USFG’s stance on online poker and online gambling.
A summary of the dispute can be found on the WTO page here.
A complete copy of the arbitration ruling can be found in PDF form here.
