THE NOTION OF A POKER PRO being sponsored by a poker room is nothing new. At many major poker tournaments, the players sporting sponsorship patches actually outnumber those who aren’t.

But to date, the poker rooms in question have almost all been of the online variety. Never has a major land-based American poker room named a spokesperson. Until now, that is. In a landmark deal just announced this morning, Foxwoods Resort Casino has named Bernard Lee the spokesperson for its World Poker Tour-branded poker room.

“As one of the premier gaming destinations in the world, Foxwoods Resort Casino believes in cutting edge ideas and is always on the lookout for top talent. A relationship with the top poker personality and professional player in area, Bernard Lee, seemed to be a perfect match,” explained Foxwoods Director of Poker Terry Chiaradio. “When we met Lee, his professionalism and personality showed us that a relationship would benefit both parties. Considered ‘the voice of poker in New England,’ Lee is one of the busiest poker personalities in the world, hosting shows on television, radio, and the Internet and working as a columnist, commentator, and author, while also maintaining a full playing schedule. Foxwoods Resort Casino is excited about working with a tremendous talent like Bernard Lee.”

It’s Lee’s double billing as a professional poker player and an omnipresent media personality that made him the obvious candidate for this business arrangement. Lee first rose to prominence as a player by finishing 13th in the 2005 World Series of Poker Main Event, and he parlayed that into tremendous exposure and opportunity. He is the co-host of ESPN.com’s Inside Deal, writes a poker column for the Boston Herald, hosts his own radio show entitled The Bernard Lee Poker Show, and has written two books, The Final Table Volume I and Volume II.

Lee has played at Foxwoods since it opened in 1992 and captured three tournament titles at the sprawling Mashantucket, Connecticut, casino between 2006 and 2008.

“If there is such a thing as home-court advantage in poker, for me it’s at Foxwoods,” Lee said. “I’m proud and humbled that Foxwoods would choose me to be their official spokesperson among the millions of poker players in the world.”

Lee will wear the Foxwoods logo whenever he plays and Foxwoods will sponsor his radio show for the duration of the two-year deal. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Other pros have been sponsored by brick-and-mortar poker rooms in the past, but never has a major casino, such as Foxwoods, made a move like this. There are many in the industry who believe this will be the start of a new trend.

“This sponsorship agreement is a huge breakthrough for the industry,” said Chiaradio. “While online poker rooms have regularly sponsored players, classic brick-and-mortar casinos have yet to establish these relationships. While I can’t speak for other casino properties, I think this could spark interest from other poker rooms across the country—maybe even the world.”

For more information on Foxwoods, visit www.foxwoods.com. For more on Bernard Lee, visit www.bernardleepoker.com.