A new association has formed to represent companies that provide online sports betting and other forms of gambling.

The iDevelopment and Economic Association, or iDEA, quietly rolled out Monday with a study showcasing what it said were the economic benefits reaped by New Jersey since the state legalized online gambling in 2013. The association's website lists 17 members, almost all online gambling businesses.

"New Jersey's experience provides valuable lessons for other U.S. states considering iGaming legalization in the future," Jeff Ifrah, a gaming attorney and one of iDEA's founding members, said in a statement. "The state's operating environment and regulatory structure provides a portable model which can be implemented by other jurisdictions, bringing much-needed jobs and tax revenue."

iDEA doesn't list any staff on its website, although it does list an office in Washington, D.C. The association also doesn't say whether it is nonprofit. https://ideagrowth.org

According to the news site Online Poker Report, the new association will advocate for all forms of online gambling, including poker, bingo, sports betting and lotteries. The group has the potential to fill a niche currently left vacant by the U.S. casino industry's main trade group, the American Gaming Association, which has remained neutral about whether to legalize online gambling as a result of disagreement among its membership. http://bit.ly/2rzvwro

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