As reported by: The Independent
The US government has challenged the smallest member of the World Trade Organisation, the tiny Caribbean island of Antigua, in an effort to stop the spread of what it deems "immoral" online gambling.

If the US wins, it could hamper the fortunes of UK companies wishing to tap the $73bn (£39bn) market of US punters.

The US yesterday appealed against a WTO ruling that went in favour of Antigua last year. It said the US was in breach of its international trade agreements by banning US customers from using offshore gambling websites.

Antigua has made itself a centre for online gambling because the US laws are prohibitive. The US recently launched a crackdown on its punters using internet gambling sites located offshore. Banks such as Citibank, Chase Manhattan and Bank of America have refused to handle money transfers from US gamblers through the sites, and even internet search engines such as Google and Yahoo! have been told to block access to offshore internet sites from the US.

A David-and-Goliath battle between the US and Antigua has been waging for the past two years, with Antigua taking the US to a WTO tribunal to try to lift its restrictions. Companies such as the UK's Sportingbet, which recently bought the Costa Rican online poker business Paradise Poker, has supported Antigua.


Article By: The Independent