Europe's Not Happy - Online Casino Style

11/03/2008		Europe's Not Happy
Home History Games News Dictionary		It’s a topic that won’t be exhausted until the United States reverse the illegalization of online casinos, and come to the realization that regulating online gambling is more prudent than banishing it all together. The arguments are not wholly domestic, either. Action from the United Kingdom’s sites may be one of the major contributors to putting pressure on American lawmakers. European sites and gambling firms have made a formal complaint against the US. The objection states that the United States has discriminated against the overseas markets that still allow internet casinos, after the banning of all pertinent activity and websites in the American market. A representative from the RGA, or Remote Gambling Association, a group designed to look after the interests of gambling companies, providing a unified voice for their causes, gave clarification to the issue. Clive Hawkswood, the Chief Executive of the RGA, was quoted as saying, “We have been left with no choice but to pursue all legal avenues available to challenge the US department of Justice for its discriminatory enforcement … against European online gaming operators.” One of the issues has been the claim that following the illegalization of internet casinos, the U.S. chose to continue pursuing claims against active European companies who might have business with American consumers, but did not put forth the same effort in persecuting domestic law-breakers. “How would U.S. investors and businessmen feel if they invested in a business in the UK based on international law commitments, and then suddenly the UK not only passed new laws forcing them to shut down their business but tried to throw them in jail for past activities, while still allowing their domestic competitors to continue on doing the same thing?” inquired Hawkswood. Depending on which side of the fence you’re on, the new international legal spat could be considered another obstacle for the US to deal with in holding their ground, or a force to be measured with, applying even more pressure for change.

11/03/2008

Europe's Not Happy

It’s a topic that won’t be exhausted until the United States reverse the illegalization of online casinos, and come to the realization that regulating online gambling is more prudent than banishing it all together. The arguments are not wholly domestic, either. Action from the United Kingdom’s sites may be one of the major contributors to putting pressure on American lawmakers.

European sites and gambling firms have made a formal complaint against the US. The objection states that the United States has discriminated against the overseas markets that still allow internet casinos, after the banning of all pertinent activity and websites in the American market.

A representative from the RGA, or Remote Gambling Association, a group designed to look after the interests of gambling companies, providing a unified voice for their causes, gave clarification to the issue. Clive Hawkswood, the Chief Executive of the RGA, was quoted as saying, “We have been left with no choice but to pursue all legal avenues available to challenge the US department of Justice for its discriminatory enforcement … against European online gaming operators.”

One of the issues has been the claim that following the illegalization of internet casinos, the U.S. chose to continue pursuing claims against active European companies who might have business with American consumers, but did not put forth the same effort in persecuting domestic law-breakers.

“How would U.S. investors and businessmen feel if they invested in a business in the UK based on international law commitments, and then suddenly the UK not only passed new laws forcing them to shut down their business but tried to throw them in jail for past activities, while still allowing their domestic competitors to continue on doing the same thing?” inquired Hawkswood.

Depending on which side of the fence you’re on, the new international legal spat could be considered another obstacle for the US to deal with in holding their ground, or a force to be measured with, applying even more pressure for change.