According to information released by the Antigua Observer, the long-standing issue between Antique and Barbuda with the United States should finally be coming to an end in 2016. The dispute has lasted for twelve years now, since the early 2000s, when the United States banned Antigua from offering online gaming options for residents in the states.
It was several years ago that the United States government decided to ban the online gambling industry of Antigua and Barbuda from offering their services to American residents. The gambling industry of the country earned around $3 billion from US residents, so banning the operations in the states put a major hurt on the income for the area.
After the banning, Antigua sought assistance from the World Trade Organization, who ruled in favor of the country. The WTO stated that the United States had been unfair in their discrimination against the sites. Yet no resolution was in sight.
Back in 2007, the World Trade Organization stated that Antigua and Barbuda deserved $21 million from the United States on an annual basis but this penalty never was acted upon. Fast forward then to 2013, the World Trade Organization gave Antigua and Barbuda permission to take digital content from a United States firm without paying, but this was never implemented as well.
The Antigua Observer is now reporting that the issue is expected to be resolved by January, however any specifics of an agreement have not been made public. According to Charles Fernandez, the Foreign Affairs Minister, a proposal from the United States was reviewed by government officials.
It will definitely be interesting to see how the dispute plays out if both countries are finally able to come to an agreement on what should be done. 12 years is a very long time to be trying to handle a dispute involving online poker gaming, with many curious as to what will happen with this long-running disagreement.
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