US presidential hopeful Marco Rubio has added his name as a sponsor of the anti-online gambling bill introduced by fellow Republican senator and presidential candidate Lindsey Graham.
The bill for the Restoration of America’s Wire Act is backed by casino magnate and Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson. As a consequence, Rubio - the Florida senator whose current approval rating outstrips Graham’s - has been pressed to deny suggestions that the move is intended to garner Adelson’s approval and attract crucial campaign dollars form the Las Vegas Sands supremo.
“People buy into my agenda. I don’t buy into theirs,” said Rubio. “When I run for office, I tell people where I stand.
“My stands are not influenced by my contributors; I hope my stands influence my contributors.”
Rubio added that he has “a long history” of opposing the expansion of gambling. “I believe that for the most part, especially that kind of gambling, is a tax on the poor and does little to develop the economy,” he said.
Source: Washington Post
