If you have kept up with the latest news about online poker you have seen that different nations are fighting with each other about online poker. The most relevant case for the United States would be the case involving Antigua. There are some good articles on WDIAV about this case so I won’t delve into the details of it. If you have ever wondered what the WTO is or why it is relevant to online poker you should read this article.

The WTO is the acronym for World Trade Organization. The WTO currently has 151 member nations. The WTO is a relatively new global organization but it has a large influence on global trade. The WTO basically sets rules for trade between nations. One of the main goals of the WTO is to promote trade between nations and provide dispute resolution if there is a problem. Before the WTO nations that had trade disputes would either go to war or create trade barriers (tariffs on imports, extra taxes, etc.) that generally limited trade. If a country enacts policies that limit trade it has an effect on other countries. Limiting trade is not something the WTO likes.

The idea behind the WTO is that each country adheres to the same set of rules. The rules are designed to promote trade between countries. If rules are broken the country takes their case to the WTO for resolution. The WTO looks at the merits of the case and decides what course of action to take. This is not a perfect method but it sure beats war.

The WTO is relevant to online poker because the United States has been accused of violating some of the rules and harming the trade of other countries such as Antigua. Since the United States is a member of the WTO it is bound by the rules and decisions of the WTO. More recently some European countries have been accused of harming the business interests of other Caribbean nations that do business with online poker rooms. Those cases may soon be heard by the WTO and ruled on. As countries continue to fight over online poker expect the WTO to hear more cases and try to resolve any relevant dispute.