In a radio interview this week, listeners were surprised to hear that the Attorney General of Utah – one of only two states in the whole of the country that has no legal forms of gambling – said that he would back a pro online gambling bill proposed by the Democrat politician, Barney Frank.

Mark Shurtleff said that Utah was aware that many online gamblers were unprotected since the UIGEA was introduced in the United States and was therefore supporting Frank’s bill calling for the industry to be legalized and regulated.

“These sites are unregulated, so there's all kinds of unscrupulous behavior carrying on,” said the Attorney General.

Another industry analyst noted this week that "even Utah realizes the importance of regulation in meeting the goals of consumer and child protection and preventing money laundering and scams.”

“The feeling among industry experts is that the Frank bill may be reaching unstoppable momentum,” he concluded.