Due to upcoming changes to rules around sports sponsorship in the Netherlands, it’s quite possible that the recent TOTO Dutch Darts Masters could be the last edition.
World number three Michael van Gerwen has expressed that he is extremely against the new regulations in the country, which ban betting companies from sponsoring sports teams, organisations and athletes.
He commented: “Those regulations in the Netherlands, they drive you completely crazy, don’t they? I know a little bit about what TOTO is doing here, it won’t be that easy to find someone else for it.
“What a shame. On the other hand: you shouldn’t get too many tournaments. Enough is enough. I think this is the limit, but with this tournament added. But anyway, I have no influence on that.”
The ban is set to be enforced in July this year. However, TOTO’s Sponsorship Manager has stated that he ‘still has faith’ in a next edition, explaining that everyone sees the success and that the company will continue to be involved in the event despite the loss of the naming rights deal.
Meanwhile, PDC CEO, Matt Porter, told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad that the chance of the competition returning is no more than 50%.
He said: “That’s an honest answer. With the loss of TOTO, we need a new strong partner and we are in a really difficult world. It would be a shame to lose this event, but the opportunity is there.
“It’s not that the Dutch darts events will die out without this tournament, but we don’t want to lose a strong tournament like this. We want clarity between Easter and the summer.”
The tournament was played in Maaspoort in Den Bosch last weekend and was won by Rob Cross who beat Stephen Bunting 8-5 in the final.
If the Dutch masters ended, the only remaining televised darts tournaments in the Netherlands would be the Premier League evening in Rotterdam, the EuroTour tournament in Rosmalen and the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam.