Costa Rica reaches settlement with US in Internet gambling trade dispute

[The Buzz]

Costa Rica has apparently become the latest to reach settlement terms with the US for its decision to withdraw its Internet gambling committments from consideration with WTO members.

According to a recent report by Costa Rican daily the Tico Times, the Central American country has accepted a US offer of greater access to other service markets, including research and development, storage, technical testing and analysis, in compensation for the closure of the US online gaming market to Costa Rican operators.

This agreement is supposedly very similar to the deal that Washington struck with the European Union late in 2007 which, according to the European Commission, provides EU service suppliers with new trade opportunities in the US postal and courier, research and development, storage and warehouse sectors.

Canada and Japan have apparently also accepted similar US offers, while the US Trade Representative's office has said that it expected India and Macau to also fall into line.

Costa Rica's Foreign Trade Minister Marco Ruiz, was quoted in a written statement as welcoming the agreement with the US.

“The agreement has been satisfactory for the country,” he stated.

http://www.tax-news.com/asp/story/Co...xxxx30414.html

[LiveCasinoPartners]

This is news to me. I'll have to check this out more closely. The question I have is what are the practical implications.

[Gamblogger]

Costa Rica is so dependant on U.S. aid that it's not surprising when they agree to whatever the U.S. government tells them to agree to. This might be good for anyone involved in "other service markets" but it won't put many Costa Ricans back to work in igaming.