WASHINGTON – Last week U.S. Rep. Pete King (R-NY) introduced a bill to legalize online gambling, reports The Hill.

The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2013 would establish a federal regulatory regime for online gaming. It would allow states like New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada that have already legalized Internet gambling in some form to continue to do so, writes the news source.

“A common federal standard will ensure strong protections for consumers, protect against problem and underage gambling, and make it easier for businesses, players, lawmakers, and regulators to navigate and freely participate,” said King in a statement.

King’s bill is in response to a 2011 Justice Department ruling that the Wire Act only banned online betting on sports, a decision that has since led many states to legalize Internet gambling. 

Specifically, the bill would create a uniform set of controls and protections to prevent underage and compulsive gambling. It would also create the Office of Internet Gambling Oversight in the Treasury Department, which would set criteria for state and tribal governments to license online gambling operators.

State and tribes would be able to opt out of participating in the federal interstate system, “and prohibit online gambling or to operate intrastate gaming within its borders as authorized under state or tribal law,” according to a statement from King’s office.

The Hill writes that state officials and lotteries have resisted legislation that could hinder states’ authority over gambling. A similar opt-out provision was included in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) online poker bill last year, which some state governments criticized.