US Violated Trade Law over Gambling Crackdown

Antigua and Barbuda officials have accused the United States of violating global trade law by shutting down online gambling website based in Antigua last week, and are even considering taking action in the World Trade Organization.

The Caribbean island nation, which is one of the world's biggest licensers of internet gambling firms, has already been waging a long battle in recent years in the WTO over efforts by US authorities to prevent Americans from gambling with offshore gaming sites.

Last week's crackdown, in which the founders of poker rooms PokerStars, Full Tilt and Absolute Poker were among 11 people charged with alleged bank fraud, illegal gambling and money laundering. But it's the fact that US prosecutors in New York also seized the domain names of the three online poker sites that has Antigua and Barbuda once again threatening action at the global trade body.

Mark Mendel, legal advisor for the Caribbean country's government, told international news agency Reuters, "I don't think there's another country in the world that puts people in jail for engaging in trade that's lawful under international law."

Since its initial shutdown, US prosecutors have struck agreements with PokerStars, which is incorporated in the Isle of Man, and Full Tilt Poker, which is incorporated in Ireland, to allow them to reopen their websites so that players can withdraw funds from their accounts and so that those outside the United States are not interfered with.