The ongoing online gaming conflict between the European Union and the United States is expected to result in an official World Trade Organization complaint, leaving open the door for potential claims of hundreds of millions of dollars in trade compensation against the US.

The Remote Gambling Association had formally submitted a complaint with the EU which had resulted in the beginnings of trade talks between the EU and US.

The RGA represents the interests of many European internet gaming organizations including PartyGaming. However, subsequent to this the US had unexpectedly called off the previous talks with no forewarning.

The latest rounds of meetings between the two partied seemed to produce no substantial results.

The US Trade Representative office has again held it's ground on the situation and EU efforts to investigate connected US Justice Department actions were declined.

The USTR is the agency that has taken on the function for asserting changes to US trade agreements, even though such changes require congressional approval. Lode Van Den Hende, outside counsel for RGA said: "It looks very much as if this matter will... be sent to the WTO at the end of the commission's investigation."

An unnamed EU official suggested they hope the EU will decide by the end of the year whether to lodge a formal WTO case. That report is due for a November release.