U.S. laws restricting Internet gambling and the way they have been applied to prosecute European Web sites are discriminatory and therefore breach World Trade Organization rules, the European Commission said.
The Commission said it will try to negotiate a solution with the administration of President Barack Obama before seeking redress from the international trade arbitrator.
The Commission represents all 27 European Union countries in trade issues and It began investigating the online gambling market in the USA Casinos following a complaint by a trade group called the Remote Gambling Association (RGA).
The RGA complained that while prosecuting foreign gambling Web sites, the United States continued to allow their U.S. based competitors to continue operating.
The Commission hopes bilateral discussions with the new U.S. administration of President Barack Obama will find a “swift, negotiated solution to this issue.”