In one of the newer developments concerning the adverse ruling the Unites States received from the World Trade Organization in it’s dispute with Antigua and Barbuda over online gaming the United States has decided to withdraw from one of it’s WTO commitments “We did not intend and do not intend to have gambling as part of our services agreement. What we are doing is just clarifying our commitments” said Deputy US trade representative John K Veroneau.

This despite the fact that ten years ago there was extensive debate, proposals and counterproposals from all WTO members concerning what commitments would be made. To make such a statement is the equivalent of saying I thought I was in school, I wasn’t paying attention. More than a dozen countries specifically excluded gambling from their commitments and the Unites States was not one of these countries. As Antigua’s Minister for Finance and the Economy said “It is almost incomprehensible that the United States would take such an action in the face of an adverse ruling. This is going to have severe consequences for the global free trade movement”.

Since the original treaties were negotiated multilaterally the United States will have to renegotiate with the 149 other countries that object to the US position and who now want to renegotiate their commitments with the United States. For the United States to say they made a mistake is a blatant falsehood. The US had competent negotiators at the original treaty negotiations, they knew what they were doing, and to say otherwise damages the credibility of the US in future negotiations of any kind. This kind of decision undermines faith in a carefully negotiated system that depends on the perception that all members, large and small, rich and poor, have rights, obligations and responsibilities to be taken seriously.

This move on the part of the United States could have serious unintended consequences. Both Antigua and Barbuda have proposed suspending enforcement of US intellectual property rights. This could lead to massive bootlegging of movie DVD’s and music CD’s. Both countries have determined that this last ditch measure is the only way to gain the attention of the United States. Just as internet gaming is the second largest industry in both countries, after tourism, the entertainment industry in the US produces hundreds of billions of dollars in revenues and losing even a part of that income is a serious matter.

In the words of John Ashe the Antiguan ambassador to the World Trade Organization, “We believe the time has come for the United States to demonstrate whether the WTO agreements are to work for us all equally, or whether the WTO is indeed a one way street for the large economies to enrich themselves at the expense of lesser ones.” It is time for the US to stop moralizing and live up to the agreements set forth in treaties the government ratifies.

Anthony Wayne works in the marketing department of online bingo site BingoHouse in Costa Rica. He is also editor of the Internet Bingo Blog a great source of internet bingo information.

Microsoft Xbox, is a video game system developed by Microsoft and released on 8th Nov 2001. It is like a significantly higher version of Playstation, which is another brand of video game system. There are various kinds of Xbox systems with varied features. Xbox 360 is the latest known version to hit the market and was released on May 12, 2005. There are different kinds of games available for it. This is the next generation Xbox with a more powerful console and was produced by Microsoft in association with IBM, ATI and SiS. The greatest feature it has is internet connectivity for playing online games. It provides one of the best online gaming services in the market. If you have a broadband connection at home, then you can take advantage of this gaming opportunity.

Microsoft is day-by-day upgrading and adding features to their video game systems. Xbox has training games and controllers for becoming familiar with the operation of the system while using it for the first time. The games of shooting and racing are very popular. These are often found at cyber cafes too, where you can play games on their machines. There are online games that can be played together with numerous opponents at one time, over the internet.

Xbox has four controller ports that allow for easy multiplayer gaming is easy to handle too. The multi-signal audio and video connections provide simple and easy hookup to television and home theatre systems. Internet connectivity allows online gaming. Hard drive storage space is provided as well. The main unit of the Xbox 360 features a port on the top to which a custom-housed hard drive unit can be attached in sizes of either 20 or 120 GB. Inside, the Xbox 360 uses the triple-core IBM designed Xenon as its CPU. Graphics processing is handled by the ATI Xenos which has 10 MB of embedded eDRAM. Its main memory pool is 512 MB in size.

When the first Xbox 360s were released in 2005, there were some complaints of technical problems. Later, these problems were corrected and all consoles manufactured after June 2007 have a second CPU heatsink to reduce overheating. To aid consumers with defective consoles, Microsoft has extended the Xbox 360’s manufacturer’s warranty to three years. If you plan to buy a used console, be careful. It might give you technical problems if it was manufactured before June 2007, and the original warranty may have expired as well.

The system is provided with parental control locking, so that parents can choose what is suitable content for their children. These game systems are giving strong competition to other brands like Playstation. Games like Assassins Creed and Warfare are similar to Halo 3 and Dead Rising.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for used DVDs, used movies, and used car stereos. You can find the best marketplace for used DVDs, used movies, and used car stereos at these sites for playstation, competitors, Facilities provided, Variety of Games , used movies, and used car stereos.

Sweepstakes are a relatively new niche in the field of competitions, specifically because modern technology, mailing list and mass publications have made the concepts behind sweepstakes easier to implement. The key to implementing a successful sweepstakes program (from the viewpoint of the people running them, anyway) is mass marketing: that is, you need massive amounts of people to enter a sweepstakes for it to be massively successful. The fewer that enter, the less profit–or notoriety–a company will get if they run a sweepstakes.

For the most part, sweepstakes that are run in today’s modern society are somewhat fair to the entrants, as long as they follow the law and are conducted publicly with well-explained rules. One of the best ways to tell if a sweepstakes is legitimate is to check for a legal disclaimer that spells out the rules in detail. If there isn’t a disclaimer present, it will be much easier for a company or individual to cheat you out of winnings if you are chosen.

There are literally thousands of different kinds of sweepstakes and contests that are run in this country over the course of the year, and plenty of great opportunities for someone to legitimately win prizes and cash. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll often have to pay taxes on any winnings from a sweepstakes, so it’s smart to put some of the money away in savings in order to pay the tax man when he comes calling.

As for the best method to win sweepstakes on a consistent basis, the smart thing to do is not to enter too many if they require any sort of entry fee or commitment on your part. There are plenty of free sweepstakes out there that require little more than mailing in a form or filling out some information online. If a sweepstakes asks you to mail in a check or use a credit card number, you’re best to turn and walk away.

In fact, finding a sweepstakes that is free to enter in any kind of niche is relatively easy. Whether it’s sports, entertainment, health and fitness or even food, you can probably find a sweepstakes to enter that has to do with it . . . and will be fun to take part in. Don’t toss your name in the hat for the very first sweepstakes you find, but take some time to do a little research and enter a sweepstakes that you are comfortable with, that doesn’t require an entry fee, and that looks fun.

Contest Blogger is an online forum where you can find and share online contests, sweepstakes. Be sure to check out our sister site about advertising.

Las Vegas at sea? Today’s cruise ships host a variety of gaming options ranging from games for first timers to high stakes gambling tables for more seasoned players. Most of the medium to large ships offer Blackjack, countless slot machines, Caribbean stud poker, Roulette and craps.

Casino size and choice of games ranges from basic to large and lavish Vegas style casinos. It is important to know that while ships are permitted to open their casino in international waters, they are closed while in port.

If gaming is a particularly important part of your cruise, keep in mind that on some itineraries such as Bermuda, where you dock for several days, gaming time is limited. Also, note that due to Hawaii laws, there are no casinos on NCL America ships based there, including Pride of Aloha, Pride of America and Pride of Hawaii. Similarly, casinos can stay open when cruising Alaska’s Inside Passage unless they are within three miles of a port.

Tournaments
Tournaments continue to gain popularity on most cruise ships with larger casinos. Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal, NCL and Princess are among those that feature slot and blackjack tournaments.

In the last several years the growing popularity of Texas Hold-em Poker has induced some of the lines to add live poker tables and conduct “no-limit” gambling tournaments one or more times during the cruise. And last year, the finals of the World Poker Tournament were held on board a Holland America ship.

Princess Cruises recently added automated Poker Pro tables to some of its ships. And don’t forget about Bingo which is making a comeback due to new games and higher jackpots.

Special Promotions
If you enjoy gaming, ask your cruise specialist to research any upcoming promotions or gambling tournament that may be of interest to you. And when you get on board, be sure to introduce yourself to the casino floor manager to get an update on casino happenings on your particular cruise.

Alas, the “free” drinks of Las Vegas are not a tradition on board cruise ships but the pit bosses CAN buy you the occasional beverage if you are spending a lot of time (or money) trying to beat Lady Luck. For information on upcoming gaming cruises, check out CruiseJungle community boards.

Players Clubs
The Ocean Players Club, is operated by Carnival Corporation on the ships of the World’s Leading Cruise Lines consisting primarily of Carnival Cruise Lines, Princess Cruises, Holland America, Costa Cruises, Cunard and Seabourn. Membership in the Ocean Players Club is free and enrollment is coordinated on board with the casino host.

This club has something for everyone,regardless of the playing level. There are awards for playing the slots and adjustable betting limits for the high rollers. Players can earn points used for free gifts, discounts on onboard services, complimentary beverages and discounts on future cruises.

Celebrity Cruises has something for novice gamers and high-rolling enthusiasts alike. In addition to standard games, such as blackjack, American roulette, Caribbean stud poker, three-card poker, craps, Texas hold ‘em plus video and slot machines, the line also holds black blackjack, poker and slot tournaments on each voyage.

In fact, Celebrity has its own VIP player program called the “Blue Chip Club” for certain guests who qualify. They can earn points, which translate into rebates on future cruises and at various onboard areas. Each voyage also features bingo, where you can compete for money and prizes.

Joe Ewart is a 30 year cruise industry veteran and a member of the Cruise Lines International Association Hall of Fame. He is CEO and editor of http://www.CruiseJungle.com an informaational cruise web site desgined for consumers.

Since the passage of the unpopular Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) many US online bingo players have been confused as to the legality of online bingo and the funding methods left available to them.

Several of the major players in this business such as Neteller have been prosecuted for activities that are perfectly legal in their own countries resulting in heavy fines and settlements with the US government. To avoid similar prosecutions several companies have swiftly pulled out of the US market suffering substantial monetary losses.
These companies include, Neteller, Citadel, My Citadel, InstaDebit, FirePay, Central Coin, and Pre Paid ATM.

Already several startup payment processors have started to appear but they lack the longevity and credibility of the older established firms. Put quite simply these new companies do not have a history to substantiate their claims of services provided. One of the unintended consequences of UIGEA is the appearance of payment processors who may or may not be honest and above board.

We have done some research and found several reliable payment processors that are still available to US online bingo players.

Of course one of the simplest methods to fund deposits and withdrawals from online bingo sites is an offshore bank account. This is not a popular method due to the amount of paperwork involved and balance requirements. What follows is a list of companies that still have the courage to serve US players.

Click2Pay- If you already have an account the will process your deposits and withdrawals but they are not accepting new accounts from the US. http://www.click2pay.com/

ePassporte-They are accepting US players and accounts can be funded with, A valid bank account, credit or debit cards. https://www.epassporte.com/

eWalletExpress- They are accepting US players. Accounts may be funded by, basic checking, Xpressfunds, 900pay, bank wire and money order. https://www.ewalletxpress.com/navaho/app

900pay-Currently accepting US players this service is one of the more unusual funding methods. This service allows deposits to online bingo sites and the transaction appears on the client’s phone bill. Just click the link and follow the instructions. http://www.ecashdirect.net/ecash/900pay.html

UseMyBank-This unique service allows players to use their banks existing online bill payment service. All that is needed is a valid e mail address and telephone number. http://www.usemybank.com/

Immediate Deposit-This service allows the player to use their visa or Master Card to purchase a calling card which can then be used for casino credits. This method is good for deposits only. Another method must be used for withdrawals. https://secured.immediatedeposit.com/Prod/Faq.jsp?ID=1

Western Union-One of the oldest methods. There is some confusion with the status of gambling transactions. Check for current information. http://www.westernunion.com/index_consumer.asp?country=US

MyWebATM-This is a brand new company providing funding for online bingo and accounts are accessible at most ATMs. Since this is a new service many bingo sites and casinos do not offer this funding option yet. http://www.mywebatmcard.com/

Wire Transfer-One of the oldest and least known deposit methods. The only drawback is the length of time it takes, typically 2 to 5 days.

Add-Funds-A new service that allows US players to fund their online bingo accounts with their credit cards. It is essentially another service where clients buy phone time to be exchanged for credits at the site they choose to play at. http://www.add-funds.com/

FedEX-Players may fund accounts via FedEX. This involves sending cashiers checks or bank drafts to the site operators.

PIN Debit- This new service allows players to link their PIN Debit to their personal bank accounts both checking and savings. Winnings can be transferred to bank accounts using this service. www.PINDebit.com

Some of the companies providing these services are new and their reliability has not been established. Players need to do careful research when looking for an account funding solution.

Unfortunately US players are finding it increasingly hared to fund accounts directly using their credit cards. Most CC companies and banks have a code that denotes a gambling transaction and given the current atmosphere in the US that transaction is likely to be declined leaving the player in limbo. For the time being third party services seem to be the best solution. Keep right on playing and good luck!

Anthony Wayne works in the marketing department of online bingo site BingoHouse in Costa Rica. He is also editor of the Internet Bingo Blog a great source of internet bingo information.