For years, casual and professional players have been calling for federal action to legalize and regulate online poker. Now, the once-neutral American Gaming Association has joined the cause

.

The AGA has released a short PR video in which it has outlined a number of guidelines that existing poker companies should adhere to so they could be in a position to be licensed in the future.

“The AGA thinks online poker operators must adhere to the same stringent regulations that have proven effective in governing brick-and-mortar casinos,” AGA President and CEO Frank Fahrenkopf was quoted as saying in an article on vegasinc.com. “If online poker is legalized in the U.S., implementation of the principles of the Code of Conduct will ensure that American consumers are playing online poker in a fair and secure environment provided by a responsible operator.”

The AGA’s six principles the AGA is hoping companies will adopt are listed below.

• Conduct extensive background checks that will keep criminals out of the business.
• Install proper identification of every U.S. online poker player to assist law enforcement and keep minors and consumers from unlawful jurisdictions and cheaters from playing.
• Undergo regular testing and auditing of online poker software to ensure that games are fair and honest.
• Implement rigorous player exclusion processes to prevent minors, players from illegal U.S. jurisdictions and cheaters from accessing online poker sites.
• Institute effective responsible gaming protections on operator sites to educate patrons and provide problem gamblers easy access to tools to help control their behaviour.
• Maintain stringent anti-money-laundering procedures that will assist the government in its law enforcement efforts.