Darts is experiencing a rapid rise as a mainstream betting sport across Europe, driven by increasing broadcast exposure and the emergence of new stars. Data from Entain highlights the growth: since 2018, bets placed on darts have risen by 37%, while activity around the PDC World Championship nearly doubled at 92%, and total stakes increased by 59%.
This upward trajectory continues through 2025, with staking growth across major televised events, including a 41% increase for the Ladbrokes UK Open and 32% for the World Grand Prix, reflecting a broadening and more engaged betting audience.
Popular wagers range from match-winner accumulators to more niche bets like King or Queen of the Oche, as well as high-pressure feats such as 170 finishes and nine-darters, illustrating how both casual and hardcore fans are embracing the excitement of darts betting.
Viewing Figures Skyrocket as Prize Funds Set New Records
Few sports have surged in popularity quite like darts, which has evolved from a pub pastime into a global entertainment spectacle. The sport’s betting boom and rising viewing figures can be closely linked to rising talent and high-profile broadcast deals. New players during the recent World Championship have drawn attention, while Sky Sports’ £125 million contract and ITV’s three-year deal ensure darts remains widely accessible.
The 2024 PDC World Championship final drew a record 3.7 million UK viewers. It was Sky Sports’ biggest ever non-football broadcast. Meanwhile, every one of the 15 most-watched Premier League Darts nights also occurred that year. Overseas, interest is booming too, with German viewership for the World Championship final now eight times higher than in 2008 and strong growth continuing across the Netherlands and Australia.
This soaring demand is reshaping the sport’s commercial landscape. Sky Sports’ new rights deal for 2026–30, reportedly outbidding Netflix, doubles the value of its previous contract. Prize money has expanded at a similar pace, with the 2026 World Champion set to earn £1 million. To put that into perspective, the prize for first place in 2005 was just £60,000.
New Ways to Engage
This has seen fans – from seasoned pub players to casual “throwers” – increasingly seek ways to engage with the sport. For example, digital versions of the game are similarly thriving. Modern leisure venues now offer tech-enhanced dartboards with digital scoring, animated game modes, and AR overlays. At the same time, VR darts and wider VR gaming experiences have introduced a new generation of audiences to the sport through immersive play.
Indeed, interactive darts have opened the door to new themed games. Digital boards can transform a simple throw into territory battles, survival challenges, or strategic shootouts. In Huddersfield’s The Light, Battlefields sees players claim and defend virtual land, while creative modes like Disco Wall and Robin Hood turn darts into arcade-style entertainment.
Elsewhere, mobile game Darts of Fury has had over 10 million downloads from the Google Play Store. Meanwhile, interactive bingo live events have paired the traditional game with special features such as Buzz Bingo’s Bully’s Prize Board Live – linking it with the newly revived darts-themed TV game show, Bullseye. With chatrooms and lively hosts, the game rides the current wave of appeal for darts.
An Entertainment and Betting Phenomenon
With soaring viewership, rising prize funds, and a surge in betting activity, darts has firmly stepped into the mainstream. From casual fans to seasoned punters, the sport’s growing appeal across screens, venues, and digital platforms highlights its evolution into a major entertainment and betting phenomenon.
