Antigua & Barbuda’s Minister of Finance and the Economy, Dr. Errol Cort, revealed that the Caribbean island had presented a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over reported leaks from U.S. officials on what was deemed to be a confidential preliminary report by the WTO.
The final report of the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Body on the a four-year-old legal battle between Antigua & Barbuda and the United States on America’s restrictions on internet gambling, a key source of revenue for the island, is due to be released tomorrow.
Antigua & Barbuda first brought their case to the WTO in 2003 arguing that US laws blocking the placing of bets across states lines by electronic means infringed WTO rules.
“The WTO had specifically said to all parties that… no party should say anything in respect of the matter. Unfortunately the US has gone and they have said a lot of things and we have protested,” remarked Cort.
“We’ve written to the WTO that while all parties were asked to remain confidential in terms of the interim report, we have kept our side, but the US has not.”
Cort added that the WTO has since reiterated its request to both parties that the report remain confidential until it is published. | 
