According to Antigua' top finance official and representative, the U.S government and Antigua have set a new deadline this week to agree a solution to their WTO litigation over online gambling.

Antigua filed a case accusing the U.S. of violating a trade deal and taking measures that affected the island’s online gambling industry by prohibiting Americans from transferring money to online gambling sites such as online poker rooms, online casinos and sportsbetting companies located outside the U.S territory, including companies located in the Caribbean island.

About two weeks ago, the deadline determined by the World Trade Organization expired without resolution. In 2007, WTO ruled in favor of Antigua's request to sanction the U.S. services, copyrights and trademarks as a way to pressure the U.S and eventually make them lift the online betting ban, however, the WTO ruled that Antigua could impose only $21 million in annual trade sanctions.

Antigua’s Finance Minister Errol Cort said yesterday that they have met with U.S. trade representatives to reach a resolution over the gambling conflict. Both sides have agreed to set a new deadline on June 20^th and add more time to see if they can solve the dispute with out recurring to another arbitration.

Sean M. Spicer, a spokesman for the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, has said that both countries are trying to settle the dispute through a mutual conformity.

A law passed by the U.S. Congress in 2006 prevents banks and credit card companies from processing money transfers to online gambling businesses outside the U.S. That regulation blocks Antigua's access to the U.S.gambling market, which at the time was the biggest and most lucrative market on the world.