A plank in the Republican platform, approved earlier this week at the party’s national convention in Tampa, Fla., calls for a “prohibition” on Internet gaming and reversing December’s re-evaluation of the Federal Wire Act.

The language – listed under the heading “Making the Internet Family-Friendly” – goes against the position taken by most of the gaming industry and of the state’s Republican elected leaders.

Gov. Brian Sandoval, who addressed the Republican Convention on Tuesday, said he doesn’t support the platform language.

“We’re not going to agree on everything,” Sandoval said. “Nevada has always set the gold standard in gaming, and online gaming is the next frontier for the industry. Our state supports online poker and will continue to work to ensure a secure online gaming environment.”

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By the time Sorel Mizzi turned 25 on April 16 of this year, he already earned one of the top nods in the poker world as Bluff Magazine’s Player of the Year for 2010. He had also been at the center of several scandalized cheating accusations.

Sorel Mizzi

There is no question that Mizzi is an exception poker player. He placed third at 2010 Aussie Millions ($599,319) and ninth ($108,967) in 2011. More recently he won the FTOPXX leader board challenge. He’s also just qualified for the new Federated Poker League. That Mizzi can play winning poker is obvious. But can he beat nearly half a decade of bad press post-Black Friday?

In an effort toward repairing his tainted public image, Mizzi announced (through a press release) that he has decided to put “his winning ways into philanthropic endeavors.”

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