US and EU gaming talks halted

Negotiations between the United States and the European Union regarding internet gambling legislation inside the US have been halted by US officials without any formal explanation being offered as to the reason why.

Internet gaming corporations within the EU had been hopeful of entering into discussions regarding a possible change to current US anti-gambling legislation which prohibits the online gaming industry within the EU from entry into the US market.

If this change could not be agreed EU companies were expected to fight for some form of compensation, with the EU gaming industry claiming that the move to bar them from the US online marketplace contravened international laws of fair trading.

Existing regulations make it illegal for non-US gambling businesses to pursue US trade, but European concerns, conscious of the worth and magnitude of the American market, have protested that these regulations have a detrimental impact on their success in the international market and should be reviewed.

As yet no statement has been put forward on the subject of the US Trade Representatives unexpected demand for adjournment of the talks,

Online bingo operators are amongst the businesses concerned by the current legislation and will most definitely join other members of the online gaming industry in the wait for further developments

In particular the UK online bingo industry at present denotes the most greatly developed and rapidly expanding online bingo market engaged in the current situation, but it is widely expected that online bingo operators in many other countries within the EU are likely to follow their lead.

14th August 2008