US Faces $100 Billion Fine For Web Gambling Ban

Stony Stevenson writes with the news that the World Trade Organization is seeking billions of dollars in compensation from the United States from their ban on internet gambling. The view of the WTO is that the US has reneged on commitments to the organization. "The disputed concessions arise from Antigua's victory earlier this year when the WTO ruled that the US violated its treaty obligations by excluding online Antiguan gaming operators, while allowing domestic operators to offer various forms of online gaming. Instead of complying with the ruling, the Bush administration withdrew the sizeable gambling industry from its free trade commitments. As a result, all 151 WTO members are considering seeking compensation for the withdrawal equal to the size of the entire US land-based and online gaming market, estimated at nearly US$100 billion."

Comments

Could this article be more biased?

[xda]

Internet gambling is banned because it is almost impossible to regulate. The only form of "online gaming" that operates in the US that I am aware of are poker tournament sites, which aren't gambling sites ("gaming" = gambling, at least thats what it means according to the Nevada Gaming Commission, Viva Las Vegas!) , you pay a single, one time low fee to enter.

This article is saying the US "allows domestic gambling sites to operate with impunity" while banning foreign sites. If the WTO is going to start filing these sorts of claims against us than maybe we (US) should remove ourselves from it. Although, I don't see this "fine" going anywhere.

Fining 100 Billion dollars from the worlds biggest consumer/customer is bad business.

This article is pure garbage, they even resorted to Bush bashing, because we all know Bush controls all gambling.

Re:Good!

[foobsr]

The United States is a signatory of the WTO, and is therefore bound by both international and domestic law to abide by.

Explain how this is relevant!

CC.

Ban the WTO

[watermodem]

Let's just kick the UN out of the US.
Pull out of the WTO
and say the hell with TRANZI agendas.

Its interfering with our internal laws and traditions for purposes of predation by outside varmits.

Re:WTO should tell Bush...

[bulldog060]

terrorist - An individual who uses violence, terror, and intimidation to achieve a result. See also terrorism. Based on the DoD definition of terrorist, Shrub should already know that he is in fact the biggest terrorist the U.S. will ever deal with.

Re:State Right

[mi]

The 10th Amendment died it's last gasping breath in Roe vs. Wade [...]

Much earlier, actually. It happened when the US Congress allowed itself to collect Income Tax — there was a pretense of ammending the Constitution, but the procedure was never properly followed.

Since then various people have gone to jail for refusing to pay the tax — on the grounds of it being unconstitutional. The worst part is that they are dismissed as "lunatics" by both their peers and the courts. "What do you mean, no income tax? We've always paid it!"