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Antiguan Legal Counsel Critical Of D Of J Involvement
In Wto Case
“What I have finally concluded is that this case
is almost 100 per cent about the DoJ”
Antigua's legal counsel during its online gambling dispute with
the United States at the World Trade Organisation has been sharply
critical of American motivations and Department of Justice involvement
this week.
Mark Mendel from Texas-based solicitors Mendel-Blumenfeld told
iGaming Business that outdated impressions of online gambling by
some in the US Department of Justice (DoJ) are behind America’s
stance, adding that the position taken by the DoJ has been detrimental
to the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
“What I have finally concluded is that this case is almost
100 percent about the DoJ,” said Mendel. “One or more
DoJ members have been present at almost every meeting we have held
with the United States over the past four years, at almost every
WTO session - their footprint is big in this case.”
Mendel revealed that one DoJ representative in particular still
speaks as if he is in a bad 1950s gangster film with mobsters ruling
the world and buying politicians. "This may sound odd but I
think that this issue, remote gambling, has been hijacked of sorts
by a kind of dated old crowd in the DoJ who are still lost in the
days of Bugsy Malone and smoky backrooms when gambling was run by
the mob,” the lawyer said.
The Internet gambling case with the WTO had been damaging to the
continued success of the organisation but that, with the European
Union (EU) becoming involved, the United States will ultimately
have no choice but to fold its hand.
"While Antigua is going to have to work hard and be creative
to find ways to effectively retaliate against the United States,
the EU won't have any trouble at all,' said Mendel. “The United
States is literally facing multi-billions of trade retaliation from
the EU in all sorts of trade completely unrelated to gambling. All
of a sudden, for example, American exporters of auto parts, electric
guitars or cotton sweaters to the EU are going to be shut or priced
out of the market.
“All of those sectors stand to be sacrificed or at least
severely compromised by the United States in this case. All so the
United States can protect its domestic gambling industry or perhaps,
even worse, to satisfy some dated little constituency in the DoJ.
Simply boggles the mind."
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