Obama Administration Under Attack by EU for Ongoing Casino Ban
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The European Union, along with many others within and outside of the United States, had expected the Obama administration to make changes in the laws governing Internet casinos. President Obama has said that one of his priorities is to improve foreign relations.
The EU has been frustrated by the fact that the US is not following certain trade agreements and has shut out foreign online gambling operators from operating in the United States. Since the introduction of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), foreign Internet gambling operators have been pushed out of the United States.The RGA has requested that the EU investigate the US foreign policy in connection with foreign online gambling operators. The Remote Gaming Association (RGA) is the representative body for European online casinos. The EU is hoping that the issue can be resolved directly with the US, and are hoping to avoid taking the United States to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Should the case go to the WTO, it is likely that the US will receive sanctions from the WTO, and would most likely have to pay at least $100 billion as part of the settlement. Around $100 billion was lost by online gambling operators after the UIGEA came into effect in 2006.Should the US open their borders to trade with online casino operators that were pushed out of the market as a result of the UIGEA, it is likely that those companies would not attempt to recoup the losses they sustained, and will be content with a return to the US gambling market. |
