Seven countries now including Australia, Canada and Macau have filed compensation claims against the United States in its ongoing internet gambling WTO case with Antigua and Barbuda.
In March, the WTO ruled that the U.S. could not allow domestic companies to offer remote internet gambling without giving foreign companies access to their markets. Instead of agreement with the World Trade Organization’s decision, Washington decided to claim it forgot to exclude gambling before they signed the GATS Treaty.
Casino City Times spoke with an official familiar with the case that stated “compensation claims by Antigua and Barbuda, the EU, India, Costa Rica, Canada, Macau and Australia were made last week in response to America's decision to exclude online gambling from its General Agreement of Trade in Services Agreement (GATS) schedule.”
The tiny Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda is seeking a total of $3.44 billion annually in compensation from the United States. Point-Spreads.com was the first to break the news that Costa Rica was seeking compensation from the U.S .
Japan has sent a letter of interest, but has yet to ask for compensation.
"It's rather premature to say how things will proceed from here," the source added.
The news of Australia and Canada joining the five other countries seeking compensation is welcome news to the internet gambling industry. Both Canada and Australia are strong allies in the American led Iraqi War.
