Despite the expiration of a deadline imposed on the U.S. government by a World Trade Organization disputes panel, U.S. trade representatives have remained ominously silent.

Finance Minister for Antigua and Barbuda, Errol Cort, has instead pointed out that a new bill making its way through the U.S. Senate will make it more difficult than ever to provide gambling products and services to U.S. casino players.
"The deadline has come and passed and the United States has made no effort toward compliance," Cort stated. He also added that proposed U.S. legislation will “further entrench the discriminatory nature of the United States' approach to cross-border gambling.”

Cort accused U.S. trade officials of having “rebuffed every offer Antigua and Barbuda has made to engage the United States in an attempt to work out a reasonable resolution of this dispute.” He went on to say that “while the United States flaunts the decision of the WTO in our case and attempts to shore up its own domestic monopoly on gambling and betting services, Antigua and Barbuda wants to point out that we have a highly regulated gaming industry in our country.”
The minister said Antigua is currently investigating ways to force the U.S. to comply with the World Trade Organization’s ruling. However, he admitted that finding a satisfactory solution to the dispute will be problematic in light of Antigua's low level of political and economic influence.

Antigua first brought its complaint to the attention of the World Trade Organization following a U.S. ruling against online casino operators.  The Caribbean nation stated that the U.S. government’s strict stance against offshore online gaming firms discriminates against Antigua’s fragile economy, which relies heavily on taxation revenues generated by gaming. A disputes panel subsequently ruled that prohibition legislation is in violation of global trade agreements unless the U.S. amends its policy on online wagering through domestic horse-racing groups. The deadline for the U.S. government's compliance to the ruling passed last week.

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