ST JOHN’S, Antigua, Thursday November 11, 2010 – The Antigua and Barbuda government has denied reaching a multi-million dollar settlement with the United States in its long running internet gaming dispute.

Finance Minister Harold Lovell sought to set the record straight yesterday, after Antigua Labour Party (ALP) Chairman and Deputy Leader Gaston Browne declared on the Opposition-aligned ZDK Radio Tuesday night that the Baldwin Spencer administration was on the verge of striking a deal. ST JOHN’S, Antigua, Thursday November 11, 2010 – The Antigua and Barbuda government has denied reaching a multi-million dollar settlement with the United States in its long running internet gaming dispute.

Finance Minister Harold Lovell sought to set the record straight yesterday, after Antigua Labour Party (ALP) Chairman and Deputy Leader Gaston Browne declared on the Opposition-aligned ZDK Radio Tuesday night that the Baldwin Spencer administration was on the verge of striking a deal. 

Browne claimed that the government would get a one-off payment of US$10 million and would agree to outlaw the gaming industry in Antigua and Barbuda. But Lovell said that was not the case.

The Finance Minister had said last month that he met with US officials with the aim of bringing the dispute to conclusion by the end of this year. Speaking in separate interviews on ZDK and Observer Radio yesterday, though, he said they had not yet reached any agreement, despite protracted negotiations. 

“We have not accepted any offers that have been put on the table,” Lovell said. “Before we accept any offers that are placed on the table we would consult with the relevant parties here in Antigua and Barbuda. We’d want to see…what impact any such agreement would have, not only with respect to the operators but also on the economy of Antigua and Barbuda.”

During his comments on ZDK, Browne had estimated that a settlement along the lines he spoke about would lead to job losses and decrease in revenues for several parties.

“It means about 400 people would be on the breadline and these are people, even at the lower end, who make EC$3,000 (US$1,111) to EC$4,000 (US$1,481) a month easily,” he said, adding that internet and telecom companies and other service providers could also loses hundreds of thousands of dollars each month.

In March 2007, the Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled that the US had failed to comply with the 2005 ruling against prohibitions on internet gambling. 

Later in the year, the WTO granted Antigua and Barbuda US$21 million in annual trade sanctions against the US, as compensation for damages, and since then the two sides have been trying to negotiate a settlement that is acceptable to both parties.

Browne claimed that the government would get a one-off payment of US$10 million and would agree to outlaw the gaming industry in Antigua and Barbuda. But Lovell said that was not the case.

The Finance Minister had said last month that he met with US officials with the aim of bringing the dispute to conclusion by the end of this year. Speaking in separate interviews on ZDK and Observer Radio yesterday, though, he said they had not yet reached any agreement, despite protracted negotiations. 

“We have not accepted any offers that have been put on the table,” Lovell said. “Before we accept any offers that are placed on the table we would consult with the relevant parties here in Antigua and Barbuda. We’d want to see…what impact any such agreement would have, not only with respect to the operators but also on the economy of Antigua and Barbuda.”

During his comments on ZDK, Browne had estimated that a settlement along the lines he spoke about would lead to job losses and decrease in revenues for several parties.

“It means about 400 people would be on the breadline and these are people, even at the lower end, who make EC$3,000 (US$1,111) to EC$4,000 (US$1,481) a month easily,” he said, adding that internet and telecom companies and other service providers could also loses hundreds of thousands of dollars each month.

In March 2007, the Dispute Settlement Body of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled that the US had failed to comply with the 2005 ruling against prohibitions on internet gambling. 

Later in the year, the WTO granted Antigua and Barbuda US$21 million in annual trade sanctions against the US, as compensation for damages, and since then the two sides have been trying to negotiate a settlement that is acceptable to both parties.