The European Commission is officially investigating the US international trade policy concerning the bill passed some years ago that restricts banks and financial institutions from making consumer transactions to and from gambling sites. It is thought to be interference in fair trade agreements, so the Commission appeals to the WTO with a list of questions they want to get answers concerning the restrictions.

After a lot of member-nations of the European Union complained to the European Commission about these restrictions the investigation has been conducted. The majority of internet casinos and poker rooms limited US players and thus they have been losing a lot of money. This list of questions is a first step to file an official complaint against the USA and there are a lot of questions about why the Bush administration is blocking online casino gaming operations located and licensed out of the country.

Barney Frank, congressman, who chairs the US House Committee on the Judiciary, is trying to pass the legislation that would annul the UIGEA. In case of his success, the government would honor the fair trade agreements which are now in place, and could regulate and tax the internet casino gambling sites. Peter Mandelson, the EU trade commissioner, said “I believe Frank takes a fair, common sense approach.”

Mandelson is seeking a way to negotiate an agreement satisfying everybody involved. However, he doesn’t think that a settlement can be made, if the USA keeps practicing what other countries consider discriminative trade practices. The UIGEA has already been declared almost unenforceable by the Fed and Treasury, accused by many financial institutions and banks.