CAFTA: The Free Trade Agreement & Sportsbooks

[Tico]

28 de mayo de 2004
Honorable Alberto Trejos
Ministro de Comercio Exterior
San José, Costa Rica
Estimado Ministro Trejos:
Tengo el honor de confirmar el siguiente entendimiento alcanzado entre las delegaciones de
Estados Unidos y Costa Rica en el curso de las negociaciones sobre los Cap ítulo s Diez
(Inversión) y Once (Comercio Transfronterizo de Servicios) del Tratado de Libre Comercio
entre nuestros gobiernos, firmado en este día (el “Tratado”):
Nada en los Capítulos Diez (Inversión) u Once (Comercio Transfronterizo de
Servicios) impide que Estados Unidos o Costa Rica adopten, mantengan o apliquen
cualquier medida que sea consistente con el Tratado, relacionada con apuestas
electrónicas u otras actividades de juegos de azar dentro de sus respectivos
territorios nacionales.
Tengo el honor de proponer que esta carta y su carta de confirmación en respuesta a ella
constituirán un acuerdo entre nuestros dos Gobiernos.
Sinceramente,
Robert B. Zoellick

--------------------------------------------


28 de mayo de 2004
Honorable Robert B. Zoellick
Representante Comercial de Estados Unidos
Washington, D.C.

Estimado Embajador Zoellick:
Me complace recibir su carta con fecha del día de hoy, que lee de la siguiente manera:
“Tengo el honor de confirmar el siguiente entendimiento alcanzado entre las
delegaciones de Estados Unidos y Costa Rica en el curso de las negociaciones sobre
los Capítulos Diez (Inversión) y Once (Comercio Transfronterizo de Servicios) del
Tratado de Libre Comercio entre nuestros gobiernos, firmado en este día (el
“Tratado”):
Nada en los Capítulos Diez (Inversión) u Once (Comercio Transfronterizo
de Servicios) impide que Estados Unidos o Costa Rica adopten, mantengan
o apliquen cualquier medida que sea consistente con el Tratado, relacionada
con apuestas electrónicas u otras actividades de juegos de azar dentro de sus
respectivos territorios nacionales.
Tengo el honor de proponer que esta carta y su carta de confirmación en respuesta a
ella constituirán un acuerdo entre nuestros dos Gobiernos. ”
Tengo el honor de confirmar que el entendimiento consignado en su carta es compartido
por mi Gobierno y que su carta y esta respuesta a la misma constituirán un acuerdo entre
nuestros Gobiernos.
Sinceramente,
Alberto Trejos


Source: http://www.comex.go.cr/acuerdos/comerciales/CAFTA/texto/cartas/Carta_CR_apuestas_esp.pdf

 

[WildBill]

Haha yeah right. Zoellick or whoever replaces him as the USTR will be backtracking on this one. Just like with the WTO, they will claim they thought they maintained some rights to control gaming and will demand changes to protect the morals of their citizens, namely laws that say it is illegal to take bets from Americans. And of course the CR government will refuse because why bother having an industry if American bets are outlawed. Nothing new of course.

 

[newbie666]

notese el vocablo "consistente"
con el tratado...

i know the english language have more voices...
but using technical voices and in spanish like that one.... can i laugh for a while....

Por lo tanto, si alguna proveedora internacional, quiere dar servicios de telefonia o comunicacion, pero esta a su vez es desaprobada por la FCC alla en USA, esta bien, prohibido vender Comunicaciones de inversion extranjera a sportsbooks,,, de igual manera, otros proveedores los cuales no son regulados por la FCC si quieren entrar en competencia.. BIENVENIDOS....

 

[Tico]

Hey Wildbill... didn't know you could read Spanish.

I was reading today where lawyers and various other professionals would be able to practice in "either nation"... the "benefit" would be mutual... meaning I could go to the US and practice LAW as long as I was licensed, and a legal resident of a Free Trade "ally".

Weird no?

 

[Tico]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Nada en los Capítulos Diez (Inversión) u Once (Comercio Transfronterizo
de Servicios) impide que Estados Unidos o Costa Rica adopten, mantengan
o apliquen cualquier medida que sea consistente con el Tratado, relacionada
con apuestas electrónicas u otras actividades de juegos de azar dentro de sus
respectivos territorios nacionales. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Translation:


Nothing in the Tenth or Eleventh Chapters (Transborder Commerce Services) impedes that the USA or Costa Rica adopt, maintain or apply whichever measures that are consistent with the Treaty, relating to electronic wagers or other game of chance activities within their own national territories.

 

[American]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tico:
Hey Wildbill... didn't know you could read Spanish.

I was reading today where lawyers and various other professionals would be able to practice in "either nation"... the "benefit" would be mutual... meaning I could go to the US and practice LAW as long as I was licensed, and a legal resident of a Free Trade "ally".

Weird no?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That would be great news for the 50,000 people in San Jose that have law degrees. I think close to about half the sportsbook clerks have law degrees in Costa Rica.

 

[Tico]

There are approximately 15,000 lawyers in all of Costa Rica. WAY too many according to lots of people.

The benefit referred to above is "mutual", but US lawyers are definitely the "real winners" in this.

I expect Channel 7 news, Teletica, to run a special report on the importance of the sportsbook industry here in Costa Rica soon. Stay tuned!

 

[wolfie_cr]

"There are approximately 15,000 lawyers in all of Costa Rica. WAY too many according to lots of people.
"

there are WAY TOO MANY lawyers anywhere in this PLANET

 

[RIOSHILL]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by wolfie_cr:
"There are approximately 15,000 lawyers in all of Costa Rica. WAY too many according to lots of people.
"

there are WAY TOO MANY lawyers anywhere in this PLANET<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Well said.

"Home of the free half point"
www.betrio.co.cr

 

[WildBill]

Yeah good luck on the lawyer gig. There are many lawyers in Mexico and they have had the same theoretical opportunity for a decade and they don't take advantage of it because you still have to pass the bar in the US to do it.

And yeah I am real dangerous with my Spanish skills, hehe. I function fine and can even carry on a conversation, but as I noted it obviously wasn't so necessary in CR. When I got home I actually had to think about stop using Spanish. Poor waiter at Outback had to deal with me constantly accidentally saying things in Spanish, I kid you not!