SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Betting activity during the World Darts Championship final between Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler and ‘Cool Hand Luke’ Humphries broke records for Kambi group.
The operator revealed that activity was up 45% compared with the 2023 final between Van Gerwen and Smith – making it the most gambled-on darts event in Kambi’s history following 16-year-old Luke Littler’s outstanding debut.
Simon Noy, Kambi’s SVP Trading, commented: “The PDC World Darts Championship final has always been a highlight of the sporting calendar, but interest in last night’s final was truly remarkable.”
The 2024 Ally Pally saw a huge spike in viewership as 16-year-old Littler from Runcorn made his way through to the final, becoming the youngest player of all time to make it that far in the competition – whilst bringing a raft of new viewers to the sport.
“Luke Littler’s phenomenal talent, particularly at such a young age, attracted worldwide attention, driving unprecedented interest and betting engagement globally,” Noy continued.
“The fact Littler was playing Humphries, the new world number one, in the final only added to the occasion, while our betting offer right throughout the Championships was better than ever, all contributing to a record tournament and final from a betting perspective.”
Meanwhile, Littler also caused a stir in the US where Kambi network data demonstrated a notable surge in enthusiasm for darts with the number of bets on this year’s World Darts Championship increasing 63% compared to the previous year’s tournament.
As more gambling brands see the ever growing potential of darts, this year’s championship also saw Paddy Power pledge £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK for every 180 thrown.
Although a total of 914 180s were hit, the Irish bookmaker is generously rounding the figure up to a whopping £1m.
