March 11th, 2008
EU to probe US prosecution of gaming firms
The EU says it’s taking a look at US prosecution of European online gaming outfits to see if the Bush Administration is especially targeting non-American firms, Reuters reports.
“The U.S. has the right to address legitimate public policy concerns relating to Internet gambling, but discrimination against EU companies cannot be part of the policy mix,” EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said in a statement.
PartyGaming, based in Gilbraltar, and BWIN Interactive Entertainment, with subsidiaries in Gibraltar, Sweden and Italy, complained that the U.S. was unfairly targeting them.
The EU will investigate over the coming seven months and could launch World Trade Organization proceedings against the U.S.
Clive Hawkswood, chief executive of Europe’s Remote Gambling Association, said in a statement.
“By any analysis, the U.S. policy is fundamentally unfair, and we are delighted that the Commission shares our concern and alarm. The U.S. simply needs to end its discriminatory prosecution of EU companies, and their shareholders, who have after all been out of the U.S. market for almost two years now.”
