Online Poker News Blog

World Trade Organization Rules Against US Gambling Ban

March 30, 2007 on 7:11 pm | In Online Poker Play, Poker News |

The WTO has just ruled that the US can not block gambling websites if they allow some US companies to allow horse betting online. Shares of offshore gambling companies jumped with the news. The US does have the option to appeal the ruling and send it back into court. The US was taken to court by Antigua and Barbuda where many online gambling companies reside. This is not the first time the WTO has ruled in favor of Antigua and Barbuda, in 2005, the WTO ruled that the US was not in compliance with the rest of the world. The US did not do anything to resolve the issue and that is why they are still in court today. It looks like the US can do nothing again and get away with it as there doesn’t seem to be a penalty for not complying.

To get the US to comply the US may face commercial sanctions. This would be one way that the WTO could force the US to comply with the ruling.

The ruling is getting a lot of coverage, here are more WTO Ruling against the US News Stories:

• BBC News
  
• Business Week
• Forbes
• Bloomberg