Gaming Guru

Republicans revive anti-Internet gambling provision in platform

A provision prohibiting Internet gambling was stripped from the Republican platform by a draft committee, and re-inserted hours later Tuesday by the full Republican Platform Committee, according to Congressional Quarterly.

The series of moves comes on heels of an effort by the Poker Players Alliance to strip the Internet gambling prohibition from the GOP platform.

More than 160 players, including 2004 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Greg Raymer, posted public comments on The Republican Platform Committee's Web site, urging the GOP remove any laws that restrict the playing of poker online.

"My point is simple," wrote Raymer. "Is the Republican Party no longer the party of personal freedom and individual responsibility? Why has this party, that used to protect my rights, now become the party that wants to create a Nanny-state? Stay away from issues of personal liberty, except to remove old laws that restrict these liberties."