Newly Formed US Online Gaming Association

PKR and Sportingbet are some of the internet casinos and founding members of a new trade association that champions the legalisation and regulation of internet gaming in the U.S”, the body announced this week. Melanie Brenner is head of the US Online Gaming Association (USOGA). She was also the previous executive director of the Poker Voters of America intrastate lobby group.

“Although the legalisation of internet gambling was not successful, the opening of the profitable U.S market will cause many state capitols such as Tallahassee, Sacramento and Trenton for the legalisation of internet gambling. So far we are in a very strong position because of the work we’ve done through Poker Voters,” Brenner said.

She reiterated that PKR, Sportingbet and Secured American Games are the first three internet casinos to carry out “financial and technical support” at its initial assembly yesterday, Brenner said.

Chief Executive of PKR, Malcolm Graham said, he is in favour of forming such an organisation and it gives their cause “great momentum” when it comes to the regulation of internet gambling at state level in the US.

“It can only stand the casino industry in good stead; in effect it backs local company’s from this side of the pond, to have a united cause. Our aim is to unify everybody under the same banner of the US Online Gaming Association going forward. The Remote Gaming Association and European Gaming and Betting Association are excellent examples on the European front, putting forward a universal goal to local legislators and local internet casinos as well as supporting them.”

Representatives in the region of 20 of Europe’s leading internet casinos and service providers were at the official launch meeting held at London’s ICE Exhibition yesterday.

Brenner told said she’s about to publicize “three to four major founder members in the next week” who have given financial and technical support to USOGA. The deadline is the 14^th of February for any internet casino who wants to give financial support and become members of the executive committee of the new trade association.

The lobbying comes out in strong support in favour of the New Jersey egaming, which still has to be signed by State Governor Chris Christie.

Pascrell told Max Michael of Cassaon-casino the following, “We’re in the process of assembling a board for the AIIG, comprising of internet casinos, payment processors and casino operators. The organisation will be open to the globe, but people on the board cannot have US legacy issues. It will have a robust board of governors who are clean, energetic and who propagates the legalisation of egaming in the U.S.” Pascrell said, “We are not only concentrating on state level in the US, but on federal legislation too. First, we must secure New Jersey and hopefully the other states within the U.S will follow suit.”