Group files lawsuit regarding U.S.-WTO trade settlement on online gaming
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A non-profit organization has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to force the U.S. government to disclose the terms of the country’s settlement with the World Trade Organization regarding the U.S. online gambling and poker ban.
The WTO has ruled that it is against trade rules for the United States to prevent online gaming providers from outside its borders from doing business in the U.S.
According to a pokerpages.com:
After a Feb. 2007 WTO ruling against the United States for failing to make U.S. gambling laws comply to WTO treaties it had previously signed, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced instead of complying with the ruling it would take the unprecedented step to remove the gambling sector from WTO treaty coverage.
By doing so, WTO rules were triggered requiring the U.S. to negotiate compensation for other WTO members, such as the European Union, Canada, Antigua, Macao and Costa Rica, who claimed they would be adversely affected by the U.S. withdrawal of online gambling from WTO treaties.
The USTR has so far refused to reveal the details of the agreement, despite formal letters sent from members of Congress.
The non-profit group, Public Citizen, is representing freelance writer Ed Brayton in the case. Brayton filed an official Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request about the USTR settlement with the WTO. But the request was denied on the grounds of national security.
