The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled Friday that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 is illegal and threatened sanctions against the U.S.
Chad Hills, analyst for gambling research at Focus on the Family Action, said the law has the foreign Internet gambling industry reeling from billions of dollars in lost revenue.
"They were illegally soliciting and taking U.S. online gambling dollars, while U.S. companies dared not violate the Federal Wire Act," Hills said. "In essence, the offshore gambling operators were mocking U.S. law by operating within the boundaries of the U.S."
Now the Internet gambling-site operators are leveraging international law in an attempt to recoup their losses, and they are getting help from WTO.
Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said international law should never supersede U.S. laws and policies.
"It's ludicrous to argue that the people of the United States, through their elected representatives in Congress, do not have the authority to eradicate or restrict a moral evil like gambling as it affects United States citizens," he said. "If an international organization disagrees and attempts to coerce the United States to act otherwise, not only is it attempting to usurp U.S. sovereignty, but that organization, by its actions, condemns itself as morally bankrupt."
If U.S. policy is in conflict with WTO requirements, Hills added, it would be in the nation's best interest to withdraw from the WTO.
"If WTO begins to write U.S. policy, especially where it impacts families, it's time to reconsider our international relationships," he said. "Congress was wise enough to recognize Internet gambling as a formidable threat to our national security and to families in our nation."
