Early in this week European internet gaming companies were dealt a stroke because the EU accepted an offer of the USA where they offer to open some services markets compensating removing foreign companies out of the US profitable gambling industry.

The bilateral agreement would give the Continental businesses (for example, Dutch TNT and German Deutsche Post), new unspecified opportunities in the American courier and postal, development and research, warehouse and storage segments. The United States made concessions in the analysis and testing services sector as well.

Though, the online gambling industry was disappointed with this deal. They stated that the European Union had lost the $15 billion a year North American gambling market. In October of 2006 millions of dollars were swept off below par after the United States made it unlawful for debit card companies to process internet gambling transactions, successfully shutting their market to foreign opponents. The WTO had ordered the USA to give compensation after withdrawing an obligation in order to liberalize the sector. The withdrawal appeared after Antigua and Barbuda, the small Caribbean state that licensed hundreds of sports-books and online casinos, had a successful case at the WTO. Antigua and Barbuda has been granted by a WTO arbitrator $3.4 billion compensation.

The trade commissioner, Peter Mandelson, rejected to put a figure on this offer of the USA, and noted it couldn’t be connected with the campaign for equal treatment in the American online gambling market.

Mr. Mandelson said he’d continue pressing for equal treatment and is putting hopes in legislation that have been proposed by Barney Frank in order to liberalize and regulate the internet gaming industry.