World Trade Organization

Founded in 1995, as a successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the World Trade Organization (WTO) is a global international organization, of which about 150 countries are members, that deals with the rules of trade between nations. Its legitimacy and work are based on agreements, signed by the trading nations and ratified in their respective parliaments.

In its essence, the WTO is designed to liberalize international trade. It has come to play a role in the international dispute surrounding Internet gambling, urging the United States to drop the ban imposed on offshore sites, which violates trade commitments and harms other countries' economies.