U.S. handed deadline to clarify Net gambling rules

The U.S. government has less than a year to clarify its rules about offshore Internet gambling, a World Trade Organization arbitrator has ruled.

The 31-page ruling (click here for PDF), issued late last week, makes April 3, 2006, the deadline by which the United States must ensure that its existing gambling laws don't discriminate against companies housed in Antigua and Barbuda.

The tiny Caribbean island nation had filed a complaint in 2003 alleging that the U.S. was violating international trade agreements through federal and state laws that restrict online gambling. The cross-border gambling and betting industry constitutes a critical part of its economy, it argued.

A WTO appeals body sided partially with Antigua in April. Its report found that one particular U.S. law, known as the Interstate Horseracing Act, violated international rules because it seemed to permit out-of-state bets only domestically, not internationally.

"The U.S. has already announced its intention to comply with the WTO finding," said Neena Moorjani, press secretary for the U.S. Trade Representative. "We will continue our ongoing compliance efforts...All we need to do is clarify one narrow issue concerning Internet gambling on horse-racing."

Moorjani was quick to note that any action will "not involve weakening U.S. restrictions on Internet gambling." She said the government is currently exploring its options for implementing the clarification and has not decided whether the move will come from Congress.

CNET News.com's Declan McCullagh contributed to this report.

U.S. handed deadline to clarify Net gambling rules

U.S. handed deadline to clarify Net gambling rules

Mr. AT Alishtari, POA and Founder EDI Secure LLLP, says the World Trade Organization in an action challenged U.S. intransigence in moving offshore sports books offshore.

The U.S. supports banning offshore sports book in the U.S. using U.S. bank agencies like Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

This forced a shift in industry as international banks rushed in to service this market. In addition, the U.S. blocked some of the $10 Billion USD a year industry from moving to favorable locations like Antigua and specifically to Falklands under ICANN rules that lumps gambling with adult industry entertainment.

A treaty with WTO, U.N. and the U.K. allows for the industry to go to the Falklands, far away from the Bible Belt but the industry itself is not happy with slow U.S. management in the area.

Therfore, the WTO has taken action in favor of the industry to force the U.S. hand.

This favors EDI Secure LLLP since our "single use credit card number ID patent" granted July 22 2003 has the right to build and license a two factor authentication with offline device debit card platform that is exempt to current U.S. restrictios since that area of law written recognizes the present U.S. platform triopoly for all cards.

All present bans are so specific to the triopoly, they do not cover a potential fourth bank platform built exclusively outside the U.S. but linked legally to the U.S. to service this offshroe sports book market forced into international areas by local U.S. restrictions.

That platform may license services overseas to an independent offshore Gaming EDI while not being in default of current or future U.S. laws since such platform will be built to respect all laws.

U.S. handed deadline to clarify Net gambling rules

U.S. handed deadline to clarify Net gambling rules

Mr. AT Alishtari, POA and Founder EDI Secure LLLP, says the World Trade Organization in an action challenged U.S. intransigence in moving offshore sports books offshore.

The U.S. supports banning offshore sports book in the U.S. using U.S. bank agencies like Visa, MasterCard and American Express.

This forced a shift in industry as international banks rushed in to service this market. In addition, the U.S. blocked some of the $10 Billion USD a year industry from moving to favorable locations like Antigua and specifically to Falklands under ICANN rules that lumps gambling with adult industry entertainment.

A treaty with WTO, U.N. and the U.K. allows for the industry to go to the Falklands, far away from the Bible Belt but the industry itself is not happy with slow U.S. management in the area.

Therfore, the WTO has taken action in favor of the industry to force the U.S. hand.

This favors EDI Secure LLLP since our "single use credit card number ID patent" granted July 22 2003 has the right to build and license a two factor authentication with offline device debit card platform that is exempt to current U.S. restrictios since that area of law written recognizes the present U.S. platform triopoly for all cards.

All present bans are so specific to the triopoly, they do not cover a potential fourth bank platform built exclusively outside the U.S. but linked legally to the U.S. to service this offshroe sports book market forced into international areas by local U.S. restrictions.

That platform may license services overseas to an independent offshore Gaming EDI while not being in default of current or future U.S. laws since such platform will be built to respect all laws.