Online Games Board

Americas: The World Trade Organization has ruled in favor of Antigua in the case presented by the American government against Antigua. This is therefore the second ruling in two years in favor for Antigua. In short, this issue began when the American Government applied legal pressure on gaming entities that were related with Antigua and the United States of America. It was later determined that these pressures translated into a loss revenue for Antigua of more than $USD 20 million. Consequently, the WTO ruled that this was unfair trade and that the American government should cease any pressure tactics. The end result is that this victory enables Antigua to continue actively hosting gaming companies.

Asia: In a survey of more than 3600 asian internet users, it was found that in China and Malaysia, there are twice as many online gamers as there are Internet shoppers. In fact 43 percent of Chinese Internet users play games online, while just 16 percent report that they shop online. This is an important finding because it confirms that their is a high level of trust for gaming sites.

Europe: Since the Gambling Bill passed earlier this month, there has not been a lot of concrete developments that directly affect the online gaming industry. However, there has been one issue that has made some heads turn: the gaming tax. The percentage of this gaming tax is still being negotiated but, according to current reports, it could be as low as 2% and as high as 15%. In all likelihood, this fee will be charged to all operators that will wish to market in the UK.