World Snooker has announced that BetVictor will be title sponsor of the Welsh Open world ranking event for the fourth consecutive year in 2016.

The BetVictor Welsh Open will run from February 15th to 21st at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff. John Higgins won the title last year, against a strong field including the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Judd Trump, Stuart Bingham and home favourites Mark Williams and Matthew Stevens.

All 128 players will be competing at the Cardiff venue and starting in the same round. The event is televised by BBC Wales with a total prize fund of £324,000.

World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: "BetVictor sponsored the Welsh Open for the first time in 2013 and we are delighted that they have kept their support going for four consecutive years. Snooker's global television footprint has grown dramatically in recent years so this event will provide BetVictor with exposure to many millions of fans worldwide.

"The Welsh Open is one of our longest running ranking events, ever-present on the calendar since 1992. The support for snooker among the people of Wales is fantastic and we look forward to seeing a packed arena. We moved the tournament to Cardiff last year, it proved a great success and I'm sure it will continue to grow in the coming years".

Charlie McCann, Head of Communications at BetVictor, added: "We are delighted to once again sponsor the Welsh Open snooker tournament next month, won so memorably by John Higgins for a record fourth time last year. The switch to Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena was a great success last year and we are very much looking forward to more of the same this year.

"Snooker's TV exposure is a terrific vehicle for BetVictor as a global brand and it is a week that we all look forward to; it is a big year for Welsh sport with Euro 2016 and the Six Nations to come and we bet 14/1 there is a home winner for the first time since Mark Williams won the second of his two titles back in 1999."

Tickets for the tournament are on sale now and fans are strongly advised to book early as many sessions are expected to sell out quickly. For full details call 02920 22 44 88 or visit www.worldsnooker.com/tickets.

The draw and format will be available after the entry deadline in early February.