U.S. Net gambling ban violates international trade laws

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: U.S. online-gambling ban violates international trade laws, WTO 
rules
Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 01:21:17 -0800
From: Jeff Williams <jwkckid1 () ix netcom com>
To: declan () well com <declan () well com>

Declan,

  This may be of some interest to your readers...

 Is the US the "odd man out" here??

  See: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/166397_gambing26.html

The World Trade Organization, in its first decision on an
Internet-related dispute, has ignited a political, cultural
and legal tinderbox by ruling that the U.S. policy prohibiting
online gambling violates its obligations under international
trade law.

The ruling by a WTO panel Wednesday is being hailed by online casinos
operators overseas as a major victory that could force the United States
to liberalize its laws.

But the Bush administration vowed to appeal the decision, and several
members of Congress said they would rather have an international trade
war or withdraw from future rounds of the World Trade Organization
than have American social policy dictated from abroad.

It's appalling," said Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va. "It cannot be allowed
to stand that another nation can impose its values on the U.S. and make
it a trade issue."

Regards,

--
Jeffrey A. Williams

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