U.S.A. Ignores European Union Demands

The U.S.A. still ignores demands from the European Union to cease with violating the WTO in the area of internet gambling and online poker. A PRNewswire released in London on December 16 states :The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) today urges the European Commission to take the necessary next steps to protect EU interests from WTO-violating retroactive and discriminatory enforcement by US authorities in the area of Internet gambling. Today saw a principal shareholder of PartyGaming Plc plead guilty to charges under the 1961 Wire Act. This is the first time this Act has been applied to Internet gambling beyond sports-betting. Despite never offering sports-betting and ceasing to accept US customers for its poker and casino games when the still-controversial Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act 2006 was passed, United States District Judge Rakoff accepted the plea of Mr. Anurag Dikshit and a fine of $300M. The maximum sentence under the Wire Act is two years imprisonment and the date for sentencing was deferred for up to two years from today's date. 

The RGA's Chief Executive, which represents the largest, licensed, and stock market listed remote gambling companies and provides the industry with a single voice on all the issues of importance to regulators, legislators and key decision makers around the world Clive Hawkswood said, "These events show that the outgoing US administration and the Department of Justice have demonstrated a total disrespect for the legal rights of European online gaming companies and those associated with them and a complete disregard for US international commitments under GATS."

As most of us here in the U.S. know, the U.S.A. has lost all of its cases and appeals before the WTO's highest judicial authorities. Yet our Government continues to carry on as if nothing of the sort has happened. The administration purses European nationals and corporations and threaten them with lengthy jail time and punitive fines based on US laws which have already been unequivocally held to be in violation of American WTO obligations.

Hopefully all this will all change once President Elect Obama and his new administration is sworn into office come Jan.20, 2009 . You can let them know that you oppose the Unlawful Internet Gambling Inforcement Act (UIGEA) and what the current admin has done by not abiding by the WTO rulings by contacting them at Change.gov .

In the meantime you can still find me playing at the U.S. friendly poker room PDC Poker . Just look for the name Skinski at the tables.