Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz) are closing in on a deal on legislation to legalize online poker in the United States.

The deal would pave the way for a new piece of legislation to introduce legalization at a federal level, while tightening restrictions on other types of online gambling.

However, while the two representatives are getting closer to each other, the deal still lacks Republican support, Reid said this week to the National Journal.

"Here's the issue, Sen. Kyl and I've worked very hard. What we need to do is get some Republican support. That hasn't been forthcoming yet," Reid said on Tuesday.

He did not elaborate on how advanced the negotiations are, but a Democratic aide told the journal that Reid and Kyl are close to the deal and are now trying to drum up the needed support.

Meanwhile, the individual states are still moving ahead with an increased pace to introduce their own pieces of legislation to allow intrastate online gambling and poker.

The Department of Justice's reinterpretation of the 1961 Federal Wire Act - saying that it no longer bars Internet gambling in the states - has opened a new door of opportunity that many states are now keen to explore.

The most advanced efforts have been made in Nevada where a full-scale intrastate online gambling platform is expected to go live within the next six months.

Apart from this, similar proposals have also been made in New Jersey, and more recently, Delaware.