Leaders in the online bingo industry have given the EU Trade Commissioner much praise for the effort he has been making to lobby the US Government to rethink their exclusionary gambling trade practices.
After the American Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was promulgated many European and UK Bingo and gambling operators lost up to 75% of their income, just like that…snap!..and all that income had vanished.
Mandelson’s very logical argument is that it is against the American public interest to deny them the right to the European gaming and bingo options that they choose to play and also the fact that if a World Trade Organisation member evades its free trade obligations then that WTO member is liable to pay some hefty compensation to the other WTO member’s citizens that suffered the losses from the default.
Although the effect the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act had, put thousands of people out of work and left many UK bingo and EU gaming operators virtually bankrupt in an overnight fell swoop.
Mandelson believes that the correct route to take would not be a once-off compensation to right a wrong, indeed he is for correction of the legislation to enable foreign operators to not be discriminated against. The bingo and gaming industry has commented strongly regarding their delight at Mandelson’s approach.