While tourism continues to dominate the local economy, the online casinos industry is quickly shaping up as one of the island’s economic gems. The tourist industry has slowed in Antigua over the past few years, and though the industry still accounts for more than half of the island nation’s GDP, Antigua has entered a fiscal pickle, looking for new prospects for economic growth. Online casinos have begun to answer this need. In 2003, Antigua partnered with the World Trade Organization (WTO) and filed a formal complaint against the United States over the issue of online casinos and the legality of online casinos. Antigua’s complaint said that the United States’ ban on cross-border online casinos and Internet gambling was hurting the local gaming market.

 The next year, in 2004, a World Trade Organization panel ruled in favor of Antigua, but in 2005 this ruling was partially reversed. Nevertheless, the country’s economic spirits were lifted due to the initial ruling in their favor. Online casinos provide a great model for the country’s continued economic success and aims at becoming modern, and now the country’s position as a leader in online casinos received an even greater boost because the WTO is on the side of Antigua in the cross-border gambling dispute relating to online casinos, but the United States has yet to respond. Some anti online casino officials believe that Internet gambling and online casinos are often an unregulated arena where the financing of terrorism may occur. In the United States, members of the House of Representatives have proposed anti-gambling bills that specifically target these online casinos.

 Antiguan officials finally charged yesterday that the United States and their trade representatives have rebuffed the tiny island nation’s attempts to bring a solution to this online casinos squabble and years long debate. An Antiguan government statement said that the United States has “refused to discuss any compromise or settlement at all.” The Antiguans are clearly angered. Antigua also wants to know if the World Trade Organization works for all, or if it only works for the most powerful (like the United States). A representative for the United States, Steve Fabry, said that the U.S. is working on “appropriate steps to resolve this matter.” Still, according to Antigua, nothing has been done.

 Antigua added, “It is ironic that at this point in time when the United States is upbraiding other WTO nations for failing to meet their obligations under WTO agreements…the very same government would treat its own WTO obligations to Antigua and Barbuda with such scant regard.”