U.S. Poker Players Ask GOP to Revamp Platform on Online Gambling

Poker Players along with the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) recently inundated the Republican Platform Committee's official message board asking them to protect individuals' rights to play poker online, and to revise their statement regarding online gambling in their upcoming party platform.

The 2000 and 2004 Republican platforms opposed Internet gambling, and included the following verbiage: "Millions of Americans suffer from problem or pathological gambling that can destroy families. We support legislation prohibiting gambling over the Internet or in student athletics by student athletes who are participating in competitive sports."

John Pappas, executive director of PPA, which has over 1 million members, noted, "This shouldn't be a partisan issue. It should be a personal-freedom issue."

Greg Raymer, 2004 World Series of Poker champion wrote,"My point is simple. Is the Republican Party no longer the party of personal freedom and individual responsibility?" He added, "Why has this party, that used to protect my rights, now become the party that wants to create a nanny-state?"

The alliance estimates that Internet gambling is a $15 billion a year industry, with perhaps one-third attributed to poker. They contend that online poker should be legalized and regulated in the United States, as it is in dozens of other countries.

"A lot of Republicans have a love-hate relationship with the poker community," CQPolitics quoted John Feehery, whose namesake communications firm represents the alliance.

"A lot of Republicans play poker, but the Christian right wants to ban poker playing," said Feehery, a high-profile Capitol Hill figure during six years as spokesman for former Speaker J. Dennis Hastert , R-Ill. (1987-2007).

The Poker Players Alliance suggests that more players go to the Republican Platform Committee website (click here for link to their site) and add their comments regarding the status of online poker in the U.S., as well as continue to voice their views to their Congressional representatives (click her to go to PPA site).

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