Much like table tennis during the pandemic, darts is now emerging as a go-to market for many operators, and Entain is no exception. Commenting on the vertical specifically, amid its broader results, Entain’s CEO, Stella David, noted that darts has indeed become one of the fastest-growing verticals for the company.
Entain Optimistic about Darts’ Staying Power and Future Growth
With the Ladbrokes Players Championship Finals taking place during the weekend, Entain has reported a 37% increase in the overall number of bets since 2018, which it used as a reference point. Other noteworthy events, such as the World Darts Championship, have already been linked to a 92% increase in bet numbers during December and 59% in January.
Interestingly, the sport’s popularity has been mostly attributed to an unlikely shift in its audience, with skilled teenagers, including Luke Littler, receiving a lot of media attention and inspiring a young generation of viewers and sports enthusiasts.
“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,” David explained.
Is It All Riding on One Teenager Prodigy?
Littler has already won the World Darts Championship in 2024, which proved to be quite the event, as Sky Sports was willing to pay GBP 125 million for the broadcasting rights – around $160 million.
Littler has been associated with high viewership, including 4.8 million watching during the 2023-24 final when Littler lost to Luke Humphries. The viewership peaked at 3.71 million, the second-largest (after football) Sky Sports viewership ever recorded.
While the exact turnover on darts is not clear, and it is probably niche compared to other sports, it is still a surging niche vertical that has positioned itself firmly on the radar.