Once again the United States has been ruled against in a four year ongoing battle between the United States and Antigua and Barbuda over the United States anti online gambling stance.

The ruling is dealing with the World Trade Organization?s April 2005 decision that the United States laws making online horse racing to be in violation of WTO members agreements, of which the USA is a member, and since the original ruling the USA has banned all forms of online gambling.

A spokesperson for the US Trade Representatives office did confirm that the WTO did rule that the USA did not take all necessary steps to comply with the ruling.

This issue is very sensitive within Bush Administration. They are in support of free trade but, conservative allies of president bush in congress pushed thru a bill banning almost all internet gambling.

Over the past 4 years the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda have been attempting to build up their faltering economy with the online gambling industry. By giving a home to many of the internets online casinos and poker rooms has brought in millions of needed dollars to this suffering nation.

The original complaint by the tiny nation was that us laws that ban placing bets over state lined by electronic means was in violation of the WTO rules.

Complaints have been made to the WTO that the USA never complied with the original ruling. In July of 2006 the WTO agreed to look into the issue, which resulted in this latest ruling.

The United States will make its decision to appeal after the final panel decision in March.