Only a week before a meeting programmed with some EU representatives, the U.S. has announced its intentions to postpone the trade talks with the European Union. The meeting was set up to discuss details of the online gaming regulations and to find a possible solution to the situation, the meeting was requested by the EU after receiving complaints by European sportsbetting and online gaming operators who claim that the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is an actual violation of the World Trade Organization agreement

Both sides were theoretically going to meet this week in Washington, D.C, however, the conversations are currently on hold and according to the U.S representatives, there are no concrete plans for a future reschedule.  Last June, the EU informed the U.S that several online gaming companies were looking for compensation after the loses caused by the UIGEA, the European Union representatives claim that such ban is nothing but a protectionist regulation that keeps foreign online gambling sites from making any deals with either American customers and financial institutions. This measure clearly violates the WTO trade agreements signed by all the WTO members, including the United States.

Several European companies such as PartyGaming, owner and operator of Party Poker, Party Casino and PartyBets, 888 Holdings, proprietor of Pacific Poker and Sportingbet PLC, owner of Paradise Poker and SportingBet sportsbook were all forced to leave the profitable U.S. market last in 2006 when the U.S congress approved the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which forbids all the U.S financial institutions such as banks and credit card companies to process payments related to online gambling activities. The withdrawal from the U.S market has caused these companies loses estimated in more than $15.5 billion only last year.

Last year, Antigua and Barbuda confronted the US law claiming that U.S trade officials are ignoring the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) treaty signed in 1995, which allows foreign participants to get into the U.S online gaming market.

Last year, the WTO ruled in favor of the Caribbean nation, giving them the right to claim $21 million annually from the US. In addition, the ruling granted Antigua and Barbuda the right to ignore US copyright restrictions, giving them the permission to avoid copyright protections and distribute music, movies and software protected by the U.S copyright legislation. The WTO decision took the U.S. to announce its intention to remove online gaming from its WTO commitments.