Antigua’s trade dispute over online gambling, initiated in 2003 and under negotiation since 2007, may be looking at delays again now that a new U.S. president is in power.

In 2003, Antigua filed a case with the World Trade Organization claiming that the United States’ total prohibition of Internet gambling services offered by Antiguan operators to consumers in the United States was in violation of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) treaty.

The WTO agreed. The United States appealed its decision, but lost in early 2007.

Rather than comply, the United States then decided to pull online gambling unilaterally from its international treaties, despite the commitments it had made under the GATS treaty to free trade in such services.

Following the ruling against the U.S. on appeal, the United States and Antigua began discussions regarding monetary compensation due to Antigua under the WTO findings. In addition, the countries continued talks aimed at getting the United States to change its policy toward Antigua’s online gambling services.

Last month, Antigua’s Finance Minister, Dr. Errol Cort, flew to Washington D.C. to meet with representatives of the U.S. Trade Relations (USTR) as well as “high-ranking officials of the Justice Department” to try to reach an overall agreement before the end of the Bush administration.

Cort left empty-handed and, thus, almost six years after the trade dispute began between the two countries, they are no closer to a resolution. Now they will have to deal with President Barack Obama’s administration to settle the matter.