Riding the coat-tails of support for Barney Frank's Bill to regulate online gambling, a new organization backing the legislation was formed.

A national scheme has been launched in the US to reinforce new legislation introduced by Congressman Barney Frank, that sets out to license and monitor the online gambling industry, in a backlash against 2006’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

The Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative aims to highlight the importance of a regulated framework that will allow US players to continue to enjoy gaming in the comfort of their own homes. This is in direct contrast to the restrictive nature of the current UIGEA, which makes it illegal for banking facilities to accept money transfers to and from online gambling sites and has essentially halted access to online gambling in America.

The Initiative also hopes to drum up online support for the bill from voters across the country. ‘Millions of Americans are currently gambling online in an unregulated environment without any consumer protections,’ said Jeffrey Sandman, spokesman for the Initiative.

‘Internet gambling is a matter of personal choice and many Americans see the current prohibition as an unnecessary intrusion into their private life. Stringent licensing and regulations will protect American consumers and provide safeguards to protect against underage and compulsive gambling. Representative Frank’s bill is a big step in the right direction to limit government intervention that is futile and heavy handed.’