While England is moving forward towards the September 1, 2007 date on which the online gambling regulating law will come into effect, in a determined move towards allowing gabling on the Internet under certain rules and supervision, the United States is still debating with itself on the best course to take.

One of the concerns that have motivated the online gambling ban initiators and is lingering in the US debate on the issue is underage gambling. While the initial reaction was to ban all gambling activity on the Internet as a means to protect underage gamblers, other voices are being heard.

Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI), an American pressure group, has released an announcement, which says new technologies can do the job as well, if not better. Age verification technologies have been developed so as to stand up to the task, while allowing gamblers of legal age to gamble as they wish.

The announcement follows and is used by US Congressman Barney Frank and his bill that will re-introduce the industry in the country and reverse the tide against online gambling. (Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act legislation.) The opinions of experts quoted in the announcement can potentially convince some skeptics or simply draw enough support to pass the proposed bill.

In fact, it is not surprising. The UK, with its embrace of online gambling, has been running such underage gamblers protection technologies. This is the case in other countries that have regulated their online gambling markets. Michael Colopy of Aristotle Inc. is quoted in the announcement saying the technologies are more accurate and efficient than scanning driver's licenses "that suffices for alcohol or cigarette purchases in America's neighborhoods."