Antigua's last attempt to resolve gambling dispute | IXGAMES

Antigua and Barbuda’s Finance and Economy Minister Dr. Errol Cort has travelled to Washington in a *last attempt* to arrive at a compromise in the ongoing dispute with the United States over Internet gambling. Cort left the island Tuesday for talks with members of the US Trade Representative’s Office, as well as high-ranking officials in the US Justice Department. This latest meeting comes after several extensions for the Baldwin Spencer administration and the US government to arrive at a compromise in their dispute over online betting. Dr. Cort said the US had addressed the concerns of others affected by its actions and Antigua was looking forward to a similar result. *Antigua and Barbuda is the only country where an agreement has not been reached because within the whole arena of trade the types of concessions that are being discussed in respect of compensation,* Concession due to duty free access on postal services, things that we feel we would not be able to benefit from in any direct and tangible way. So we are seeking to negotiate some agreement that would bring more tangible benefits to Antigua and Barbuda, said Dr. Cort. In 2007, a World Trade Organisation (WTO) panel of arbitrators ruled in favour of Antigua & Barbuda’s bid to impose sanctions on Washington after it barred financial institutions from processing online payments to betting companies outside American borders. The ban effectively blocked countries such as Antigua & Barbuda from having access to the lucrative US gambling market. Since then the two countries have made several attempts to reach a compromise on the matter. (Dr. Cort can expect to be soon starting anew with Obama’s people). Regards ixgames