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Antigua Sues the United States
The government of Antigua & Barbuda will be suing the government of the United States to recover losses from the internet gaming and sports book industry.
This is due to laws passed by the US government that prohibits companies from doing business in Antigua.
Prime Minister Lester Bird explained that government will be taking the US government before the Grievance Committee of the World Trade Organisation for restraint of trade and interfering with Antigua & Barbuda sports book and internet gaming.
“I would say that we have lost about US$30 million as a result of the constant attack upon the industry by members of the US Congress, the Leach Bill, the Kyle Bill and the taking on board by the US government in preventing corresponding banks to deal and operate with these different activities which we feel are particular legitimate,” Bird said.
The US Congress passed laws prohibiting Internet gaming – the Leach Bill and the Kyle Bill prohibits the use of credit cards, electronic transfer and checks to pay for Internet gambling.
Bird accused the US government of using its power to destroy the special niche in the Internet gaming sector for small island developing states.
“America is the largest gambling country in the world so how can they then be so unctuously self-righteous, to use their power to destroy the niches that we are having, trying to develop some kind of diversification in our economy. It is unfair and therefore we are going to take them before the WTO.”
Bird noted that at least 80 per cent of the Internet gaming and sport books companies have left Antigua and went to Costa Rica. According to Bird, this has caused Antigua & Barbuda to loose “millions of dollars.”
“I noticed that they are now clamping down on Costa Rica also and many of them have realised that Antigua & Barbuda is the best jurisdiction so they want to come back into Antigua. But we have the best legislation in terms of complying and conforming with international regulations and we feel that the United States is absolutely unfair to small developing countries like us and therefore we are going to be the mouse that roared,” Bird said.
Government has retained the services of former Home Secretary in Britain Leo Briton to make representation on its behalf.
This is due to laws passed by the US government that prohibits companies from doing business in Antigua.
Prime Minister Lester Bird explained that government will be taking the US government before the Grievance Committee of the World Trade Organisation for restraint of trade and interfering with Antigua & Barbuda sports book and internet gaming.
“I would say that we have lost about US$30 million as a result of the constant attack upon the industry by members of the US Congress, the Leach Bill, the Kyle Bill and the taking on board by the US government in preventing corresponding banks to deal and operate with these different activities which we feel are particular legitimate,” Bird said.
The US Congress passed laws prohibiting Internet gaming – the Leach Bill and the Kyle Bill prohibits the use of credit cards, electronic transfer and checks to pay for Internet gambling.
Bird accused the US government of using its power to destroy the special niche in the Internet gaming sector for small island developing states.
“America is the largest gambling country in the world so how can they then be so unctuously self-righteous, to use their power to destroy the niches that we are having, trying to develop some kind of diversification in our economy. It is unfair and therefore we are going to take them before the WTO.”
Bird noted that at least 80 per cent of the Internet gaming and sport books companies have left Antigua and went to Costa Rica. According to Bird, this has caused Antigua & Barbuda to loose “millions of dollars.”
“I noticed that they are now clamping down on Costa Rica also and many of them have realised that Antigua & Barbuda is the best jurisdiction so they want to come back into Antigua. But we have the best legislation in terms of complying and conforming with international regulations and we feel that the United States is absolutely unfair to small developing countries like us and therefore we are going to be the mouse that roared,” Bird said.
Government has retained the services of former Home Secretary in Britain Leo Briton to make representation on its behalf.
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