Ambassador Dr. John Ashe and Attorney Mark Mendel are in Geneva ahead of the monthly meeting of the WTO\’s Dispute Settlement Body. They expect to get a response from the US on how it intends to comply with the WTO\’s recommendations on the internet betting dispute between the two countries.
In August 2005, Dr. Claus-Dieter Ehlermann, a World Trade Organization arbitrator, gave the United States until April 2006 to adapt its legislation in line with the previous WTO ruling that ordered the US to stop discrimination between foreign and local online gambling operators.
“We are now approaching the end of a very long process, which began in 2003, when we requested with the US regarding measures applied by its various authorities to prohibit the cross-border supply of gambling and betting services,” said John Ashe, Antigua and Barbuda\’s Ambassador to the WTO.
In separate news, Antigua and Barbuda was praised for its work in the internet gaming sector, as representatives of over 20 Caribbean and Latin American countries congregated at the Training Workshop for Caribbean regulators of internet gaming entities.
The one week workshop has been organized by the International Monetary Fund in collaboration with the Financial Sector Reform and Strengthening Initiative, the US Department of Treasury and the ONDCP, to focus on the flow of revenues and the controls in the sector so that participants understand the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing.
Caribbean and Latin American countries will be provided a basic introduction on how to use the increasingly popular internet gaming sector to improve nations’ Gross Domestic Product and promote economic diversity.
Lebrecht Hesse, Chairman of Antigua\’s Financial Service Regulatory Commission, said the World Trade Organization found Antigua and Barbuda to be largely compliant with many of the international standards on internet gaming regulation.
Alex A. Vanderpoole, Director of the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy, said constant vigilance is required to maintain the appropriate standards.
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