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Officials from the American Treasury are declaring that the regulations stipulated under the UIGEA are virtually impossible to implement. They are also being made even more difficult due to the growing opposition coming from the US financial industry, which, under the UIGEA, is responsible for acting as the government's cop.

Commenting on Frank's new proposed legislation to reverse the UIGEA, Floyd Stoner, a lobbyist for the American Bankers Association, said, "I do not know what can be done or will be done legislatively, but we certainly appreciate the interest."

Frank has consistently argued that UIGEA's proposed regulations are impossible to carry out without placing a considerable load on the financial institutions processing payments.

"While I do disagree with the underlying objective of the Act, I believe that even those who agree with it ought to be concerned about the regulations' impact," Frank is quoted as saying.

The current law was designed to prevent US players from placing real-money bets with online poker rooms, casinos and sports-betting sites.

According to a report in the Washington-based publication, The Hill, The American Bankers Association (ABA) has signed on to back the Democrat from Massachusetts. Opposition support to lift the government's prohibition has been rising steadily. Currently over 40 Congress people, from both sides of the political divide, are expressing their desire to see online gambling in the United States both legalised and regulated. The Poker Players Alliance ranks among Frank's largest and most active groups.