The US Doublespeak On Online Gambling 

Gambling News - June 26, 2009 - Written by Renee

The US Government has reacted strongly to the Chinese demand that all new computers in China have software installed that will allow the blocking of pornography and online gambling sites. The Internet gambling industry world wide is shocked because the US has adopted a stubborn anti Internet gambling stance internally. 

The Chinese Government has introduced a requirement that effective July 1 all computers sold in China would have to have the Green Dam software installed. This would enable Chinese officials to block access to sites they consider undesirable. At the moment only pornography and online casinos are being included. The Chinese said that this measure was essential to safeguard children from accessing such sites.  

The US Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke have sent a protesting letter complaining that this action constitutes censorship, interferes with free speech, compromises Internet security, and violates World Trade Organization regulations. US officials met their counterparts from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to convey their view that the blocking software would conflict with “internationally recognized rights to freedom of expression.” 

The US has been accused of doing exactly what China wants to do. Antigua has already won cases against the US for the damages caused by blocking the US Internet gambling market to operators licensed in Antigua. The European Union too has called the UIGEA discriminatory and has called upon the US to legalize and regulate Internet gambling. Within the US there is a tussle between the pro and anti Internet gambling sections both in the courts and the legislature. The anti Internet gambling lobby is giving the very same reasons that China has.