APCW Untangling the WTO Ruling

Filed in archive Poker Laws on December 27, 2007

Perspectives Weekly is back from our friends at the APCW (Association of Players, Casinos, and Webmasters) to bring us all up to date on the recent WTO trade agreements between the United States and European Union concerning the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

As I wrote earlier in the week the US accepted nearly $100 billion in trade concessions that are giving away the US's competitive edge in several sectors simply to keep the ban on certain types of online gambling with the US borders. So, instead of profiting from these activities that many Americans about of, the government is giving away the money simply to keep a possible monopoly on US-based online gambling (which is speculated to be legalized in a few years).

A five part synopsis included in the video of bullets that are left unfired at this issue, including yet another WTO ruling that still remains unresolved. The Antigua case against the US has been upheld several times and remains a David vs. Goliath type showdown with Goliath simply ignoring the ruling so far.

Very soon the US will have to answer to Antigua's case which could include possible copyright infringement rights being handed to the small nation. I'm sure the people at Microsoft, Disney, and Warner Brothers wouldn't be too pleased with that.