EU and US likely headed to WTO over gambling dispute
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Reports published this week indicate that the ongoing confrontation between the EU and the US over the issue of online gambling is likely headed for a formal dispute in the World Trade Organization.
EU officials were in the US this week, reportedly to investigate the enforcement actions of the US Department of Justice in regards to online gambling. EU companies have long complained that they were unfairly shut out of the US market by the UIGEA, which allows some forms of online gambling (domestic horse race betting), but seeks to disallow others, a potential violation of WTO member agreements.
Apparently EU officials found enough to convince them that a formal complaint to the WTO was warranted. Any action by the WTO will be quite some time down the road, as the official process for filing and adjudicating a complaint is, to say the least, lengthy.
Rep. Robert Wexler, a supporter of explicitly legalizing online gambling, had this to say in a statement regarding the EU’s concerns: “I am increasingly concerned that if these disputes are not able to be resolved, it will likely mean costly retaliatory measures will be taken against U.S. economic interests.”
