The Development of the Antigua Online Casino is scheduled to Continue
6 December 2005

There has been a huge stir over the development of an Internet gambling industry in Antigua. The United States would like to see this development stopped, and have been pressuring the Caribbean Island, Antiqua, to put an end to the project. Despite this pressure, Antigua has no intentions of quitting their goal and is determined to achieve an operating license.

Errol Cort, the Finance Minister, has announced that there will be 10 new online gambling companies opening on Antigua in the upcoming year of 2006. If operating licenses are granted to Antigua, it will join the other 14 online casino sites that have already been approved and are currently in operation.

While some don’t have a problem with Antigua’s objective, the legal argument that comes from the United States is based on their belief that Internet gambling is a violation of state laws. However, Antigua believes that the position that the United States is taking towards online gambling is contrary to that of the rules set up by global trade. In order to resolve the dispute, this matter has been taken to the World Trade Organization who will make the final ruling concerning the issue.

Currently, the operation of online gambling sites is not prohibited within the U.S. Although there is no law that prohibits US citizens from gambling online, the practice is still heavily frowned upon.

Cort has made the promise in Parliament that all new gambling operations will be controlled by the strictest practices. Only time will tell if Antigua is granted an operating license, and it will be interesting to see what the result is.