Entain CEO Stella David has hailed darts as delivering “some of the fastest growth in the industry”, amid a surge in betting interest in the sport.
Ahead of this weekend’s Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals, the London-listed firm reported that the number of bets it has taken on the sport has shot up by 37% since 2018.
The World Darts Championship, played across December and January each year, has seen the number of bets soar 92% and total stakes leap 59%, according to Entain figures.
There have also been increases in stakes across major tournaments this year on the operator’s sportsbooks.
The UK Open in February/March, also sponsored by Ladbrokes, reported stakes were up 41% versus 2024, while there was a 22% stake increase on the BetMGM Premier League Darts season, also in February.
Entain said the growing appeal of the sport has been driven by teenage superstar Luke Littler and significant UK broadcast deals.
Littler won the World Darts Championship last year, while Sky Sports has paid £125m for a coverage extension through to 2030 with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).
More than 4.8 million people watched the 2023-24 final when Luke Humphries beat a then-16-year-old Littler.
A peak audience of 3.71 million during the match was the highest ever non-football peak on Sky Sports.
ITV has also agreed to keep darts on free-to-air TV through to 2028 via a new deal with the PDC.
As for the most popular bet types, Entain said markets such as ‘which player will score the most 180s’ and Littler-themed markets around his individual performance were highlights.
Stella David, Entain CEO, 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.”
The post Entain hails “explosive” growth of darts betting first appeared on EGR Intel.
FTSE 100 operator says the sport’s popularity has soared in recent years, with total bets on the World Darts Championship up 92%
The post Entain hails “explosive” growth of darts betting first appeared on EGR Intel.