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EU Commission Analyzes US Online Gaming Laws
LONDON --
According to reports in the UK, the European Commission has decided to investigate a complaint filed last year by a London gaming firm that says the United States is unfairly victimizing European online casino businesses. The accusation states that US policy concerning internet gambling unfairly harms legitimate and regulated European industry. The group making the claim is the Remote Gambling Association (RGA), a London-based group.
The RGA is arguing that its members are being excluded from the US market because legislation in the US does not allow them to accept financial transactions from American players. The key argument involves whether or not US protectionism of land-based casinos, the horse racing industry, state lotteries, indian casinos, gambling cruises, etc. violates trade policy.
The European Commission will analyze the issues raised by the RGA's complaint over the next 5-7 months and issue a report, which might lead to World Trade Organization (WTO) sanctions against the United States.
The US just recently settled two major WTO disputes involving internet gambling back in December of 2007. One involved the tiny island of Antigua and ended in a backroom deal where the US agreed to pay Antigua several million dollars over a certain time period. The other WTO ruling came when the US made trade concessions with the EU over protectionist policies concerning internet gambling.
Some in the industry have speculated that this investigation could lead to the US being forced to legalize online gaming and break down trade barriers. Analysts have predicted that if the US were to regulate the online gambling industry, it could generate up to $50 billion dollars in additional tax revenue by 2015.
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