One day before the start of the 2021 WSOP, a new primary sponsor emerged. VELO announced that it is the new primary sponsor of this year’s World Series of Poker at the Rio in Las Vegas.
As the WSOP staff was setting up the tables in the Rio Convention Center ballrooms today, the felt on those tables showed the first signs of the partnership. And there will be more throughout the coming weeks.
What is VELO?
According to the brand itself, VELO is an oral nicotine brand for people 21 years of age and older. The products do contain nicotine but offer an alternative to traditional cigarettes and even the vape pens that can be combustible. VELO products provide the nicotine without any smoke or residuals that invade the space of others.
Nicotine pouches are customizable packages, compact and easy to carry. They are free of tobacco and come in three different nicotine levels and eight flavors. Nicotine lozenges come in four flavors.
Modoral Brands, under the Reynolds American umbrella, handles marketing for VELO. Senior VP of Reynolds Next Generation Products Leila Medeiros noted, “We’re constantly exploring new and different ways to elevate our presence and enhance experiences for our age 21+ nicotine consumers. This partnership is a natural fit for VELO.”
The motto of the partnership is that poker players and fans should “never miss a hand.”
What WSOP Fans Can Expect
The most obvious advertisements from VELO are on the felt itself, as well as the all-in buttons. PokerGO content will feature VELO advertising, as will branding on the main stage and in television coverage.
Those arriving in Las Vegas via McCarran International Airport will see VELO branding on banners and signage for the World Series of Poker.
WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart said, “With VELO as a primary partner of this year’s tournament, we’re able to further elevate the experience for our participants and bring new life to this classic event as we return to an in-person format.”
More consequential for plyers, though, is VELO’s sponsorship of the Player of the Year and No Limit leaderboards. In total, VELO will contribute $50K in cash prizes for the winners of those competitions.
Speaking of Leaderboards…
The 2021 WSOP Player of the Year race will include 83 of the 88 live events happening at the Rio, as well as 10 of the 11 online poker events. The excluded events include the casino employees, two seniors, ladies, and tag team events, as well as the Pennsylvania online event.
Qualifying tournaments will award points based on the number of entries and in-the-money finishes. Players will be able to use the points calculator to see the points available in particular events, and they can track points via event results that will show how many points were awarded to each player.
In total, there will be $50K awaiting the top finishers. The WSOP Player of the Year leaderboard and the No Limits VELO leaderboard will each award $15K to the winner, $7,500 to the second-place finisher, and $2,500 to the third-place finisher.
https://twitter.com/WSOP/status/1443334601884065794?s=20
