Epic Poker League Announces Sponsorship Rules

From featured tables at the World Series of Poker to televised cash games, one thing has been true for several years now: there’s often as much money at stake for the players in terms of selling advertising on their shirts and hats as there is in the game itself. Various logo policies can greatly increase – or reduce – the amount of money available to players before they see a single hand.

On Tuesday, the Epic Poker League announced their formal policy on allowing players to wear logos and other sponsorships during play. The rules were defined to be clear cut, allowing little to interpretation and giving players a definitive guide to what is allowed and what is not.

One question on everyone’s mind was the status of online poker advertising, which was fairly limited at the World Series this year. According to the Epic Poker League rules, only play money sites – such as the .net versions of most popular poker rooms – may be advertised on patches. In addition, no player may wear a patch for a room that accepts US customers for real money, including the play money versions of those sites. Additional rules have been written that require the logos to hold to a specific standard that makes it clear that these rooms are the play money versions of the sites, and not the .com real money versions.

In addition, there are several industries that players are prohibited from advertising at the table. No logos will be allowed that promote hard alcohol, pornography, weapons, or any forms of illegal gambling. In addition, online dating site logos can be prohibited if they’re seen as being of questionable morality – perhaps a response to the negative publicity several sites have received in recent weeks, including one site that has reportedly become popular among young adults with heavy student loan debts to find wealthy older patrons.

There are also special rules at the final table. No more than four players at a final table may advertise for a single sponsor. In fact, if more than one player is wearing a sponsor’s logo, each logo must be distinctly colored and designed, to give each player a unique look.

The first Epic Poker League event starts on Friday, with the Pro/Am tournament that will give players a chance to play their way into the Main Event. The Main Event – featuring pros with tour cards and the nine top finishers in the Pro/Am – begins on August 9^th.