A new trade association that is aiming to advocate for the legalization and regulation of online gambling in the United States was recently formed.

The association has attracted the support of some of the big names in the industry including United Kingdom online gaming websites PKR and Sportingbet who are among the founding members of this association and who, along with Secured American Games, were the first to pledge financial as well as technical support for the newly created U.S. Online Gaming Association (USOGA).

It is hoped that the move will be the next step in legalizing and regulating online gaming and the US Online Gaming Association will endeavor to mirror the influence that Europe’s Remote Gaming Association and the European Gaming and Betting Association has encountered in the past.

The new Association will be lead by Melanie Brenner who formerly headed the Poker Voters of America group who said in her first interview "With the failure of a federal solution to this issue, the opening of the lucrative US market will be through state capitols such as Tallahassee, Sacramento and Trenton. The work we have done through Poker Voters has uniquely positioned us to be the most effective voice in moving this issue”

According to Brenner, the future of internet gambling in the United States will depend largely on how successful it is on state level.

At least three more top names in the industry are expected to join PKR and Sportingbet in committing to the new group and gambling companies and online operators have been given until 14th February 2011 to pledge their support.

Malcolm Graham, the Chief Executive of PKR, spoke at the official launch meeting at the ICE expo and stated that the time was ripe in the gambling industry to bring all interested parties together in a bid to push for the legalization of online gambling in the United States.  Graham pointed to the success of groups such as the European Gaming and Betting Association in Europe and the Remote Gaming Association and said that the Unites States requires a similar framework of activity.

USOGA was launched a few days after the creation of the American Institute for iGaming (AIIG) whose aim it is to educate on and advocate for online gambling in the United States.