From sold-out arenas to record-breaking broadcast deals, darts is experiencing unprecedented growth. Ahead of this weekend’s Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals, data from Entain, the global sports betting and gaming group, documents the meteoric rise of darts in the betting world.
Entain’s digital sportsbook reveals that the number of bets on the sport have increased by 37% since 2018, while the number of bets placed on the sport’s flagship PDC World Darts Championship tournament have almost doubled (92%) and total stakes have grown by 59%, reflecting darts’ growing appeal among punters.
This YoY staking growth has continued into the new season of darts on major televised tournaments vs. 2024:
- +22% across the 2025 BetMGM Premier League season
- +41% in the Ladbrokes UK Open
- +7% in the PDC World Cup of Darts
- +7% in the World Series of Darts
- +32% in last month's World Grand Prix
The rise of Luke Littler, who won his first World Championship title this year, has been a catalyst for this growth. The sport’s momentum has also been supercharged by two major UK broadcast deals – Sky Sports’ £125 million extension through 2030 and ITV’s new three-year agreement to 2028 – ensuring darts remains both premium and accessible, with more live coverage than ever across pay-TV and free-to-air platforms.
Stella David, CEO of Entain, said: “The Littler Effect, other rising stars like Beau Greaves, and greater accessibility have transformed darts into a global phenomenon - and our sportsbook data proves it. Viewership has surged and betting engagement mirrors this. As a huge fan myself, it’s great to see what was once a niche sport, now driving some of the fastest growth in the industry.”
For this weekend’s Players Championship Finals, Ladbrokes is pulling out the stops for its customers with Ladisfaction Prize Pot – where a customer will be chosen at random prior to each session, and if there is a 9 darter, that customer wins £9K.
As for the most popular bets, Entain reveals that customers love a ‘who will win the match?’ accumulator, enjoy placing multiple bets on who will score the most 180s, and single bettors like to pick something against the odds, such as King or Queen of the Oche, where you bet a set price on a player to win the match. Special bets on ‘The Nuke’ are also extremely popular – such as hitting a 170 finish or hitting a 9 darter.
With its fast-paced format, star players, and increased accessibility, darts is poised to continue its upward trajectory. As broadcasters, sponsors, and betting platforms invest heavily in the sport, darts is no longer just a game – it’s a movement.
About Entain plc
Entain plc (LSE: ENT) is a FTSE100 company and is one of the world’s largest sports betting and gaming groups, operating both online and in the retail sector. The Group owns a comprehensive portfolio of established brands; Sports brands include BetCity, bwin, Coral, Crystalbet, Eurobet, Ladbrokes, Neds, Sportingbet, Sports Interaction, STS and SuperSport; Gaming brands include Foxy Bingo, Gala, GiocoDigitale, Ninja Casino, Optibet, Partypoker and PartyCasino. The group operates the TAB NZ brand as part of a long-term strategic partnership with TAB New Zealand. The Group owns proprietary technology across all its core product verticals and in addition to its B2C operations provides services to a number of third-party customers on a B2B basis.
The Group has a 50/50 joint venture, BetMGM, a leader in sports betting and iGaming in the US. Entain provides the technology and capabilities which power BetMGM as well as exclusive games and products, specially developed at its in-house gaming studios. The Group is tax resident in the UK and is the only global operator to exclusively operate in domestically regulated or regulating markets operating in over 30 territories.
Entain is a leader in ESG, a member of FTSE4Good, the DJSI and is AA rated by MSCI. For more information see the Group’s website: www.entaingroup.com.