Sponsoring live backgammon events is one of the things online backgammon rooms do in order to broaden their target audience and access the pros. But what is in it for the tournament organizers and, of course, the players?

Play65 Nordic Open 2009

Over the past five years, Play65 has been sponsoring, promoting several live backgammon tournaments including the 21st Nordic Open 2009 and the Danish Backgammon Championship 2008, and organizing online qualifiers for WSOB Championship 2008, 3rd Portuguese Open 2008, Backgammon in London monthly tournaments and others. But in order to take a close, unbiased look at the online/live backgammon relationship, we will examine the competitors, Casinorip.com London Open for example.

The 1st London Open backgammon championship, held last month at the English Capital was sponsored by fellow skill game provider Casinorip. According to the London Open tournament director, Mike Main, his plan to make London the home of a major backgammon championship has been waiting for a long time for the right sponsor, which "would bring in an online side before the event as well as an added prize fund at the event" he summarized the sponsor’s major role.

The online backgammon sponsor has filled its anticipated destination as well as the organizers in renovating and re-branding the backgammon boards. At the same time, Mike Main and his backgammon in London gang used more or less traditional marketing tools to promote the London Open, contacting the players on their mailing and emailing lists, leaving messages on online bulletin boards, and even taking advantage of occasional meetings with potential participants.

London Open final table (from Backgammon in London)

The mutual promoting efforts were not in vain since 56 players attended London Open championship division with some of the world’s biggest backgammon stars among them: Chris Ternel, Chris Bray, last year’s UK Masters champion John Hurst, Carter Mattig of the US, Japanese backgammon player Mochy, and a veteran player of Germany named Uli Koch who eventually crowned the first London Open champion and took home the better part of the £12,000 prize fund.

So, the backgammon tournament earned an online marketing campaign, a magnified prize fund and seven online qualifiers, four of them played the championship division. So what is in it for the online backgammon sponsor? Did it earn new championship level players?