In the wake of Italys recent reaction against Maltas gaming authority website, one must wonder what looms ahead for European trade and world trade in general. To a very large extent, the opposition to internet gambling is fueled by the desire to protect some internal-run gambling concerns.
The World Trade Organization, in a case pitting Antigua and Barbuda against the United States, has determined that U.S. policy toward Internet gambling is inconsistent with international trade rules, because some American horse-racing operators are permitted to accept bets online. While the threat of retaliatory sanctions from tiny Antigua has not swayed U.S. policy making, analysts say, the stakes may be higher in any eventual dispute with bigger trading partners.
In Europe, Britain’s open attitude toward gambling is already creating conflicts with some European neighbors, which take a more restrictive approach. Italy, earlier this year moved to ban foreign online gambling operators, like British sports-betting sites, from operating in that country. It is likely that the European market will open up given that court 스포츠중계 decisions have gone against national monopoly...