How much do darts players earn and is it easy for the top professionals to become millionaires?

By Sporting Life

Darts

Wed December 11, 2024 · 2w ago

Have you ever wondered how much money professional darts player can earn and whether the top stars are really enjoying a millionaire life of luxury?

There's around £15,000,000 of prize money up for grabs in the PDC every year and then players will also be able to earn money from sponsorships, endorsements and the exhibition circuit.

Luke Littler shot to darting stardom recently when reaching the PDC World Darts Championship final at the age of just 16 and his cheque for £200,000 lifted him into the top 32 in the Order of Merit despite not yet playing on the PDC Tour.

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World champion and world number one Luke Humphries scooped the top prize of £500,000 at the Alexandra Palace while he'd previously scooped £120,000 for winning the World Grand Prix, £150,000 for landing the Grand Slam of Darts and another £120,000 for triumphing at the Players Championship Finals.

But in this video, former major winner and leading darts commentator Paul Nicholson joins Sporting Life's Chris Hammer and Dom Newton to lift the lid on the realities of playing for your livelihood - such as dealing with HMRC, who even 'jokingly' reminded Littler that he is due to pay £83,000 of his World Championship earnings in tax.

It's not quite as lucrative as you may think and there is a lot of advice that aspiring dart players must take on board and be wary of to ensure they take of their earnings and be a 'smart business person' during a career that's far from easy.

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Show chapters

0.00: How is the PDC prize money spread out?
1.50: How high up the rankings gives you a comfortable lifestyle?
2.35: What do players lose in tax and other expenditure?
5.25: Players who get in trouble with money
7.20: No guaranteed wage in darts
9.00: Other ways of earning money including exhibition fees
11.50: Pressure of playing for money and costly missed darts
13.00: A missed dart that cost £125,000
14.00: Players who care about money or titles
14.37: Players who have second careers
16.30: Easier to make a living in darts now or in the past?
17.40: Career after darts

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ALSO WATCH: BUILDING THE PERFECT DARTS PLAYER

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Leading pundit and former major winner Paul Nicholson joins host Dom Newton and Sporting Life's darts expert Chris Hammer to discuss the 'darting pyramid', the importance of averages, how to crack Q School and other factors such as choosing sponsors, nicknames and walk-on music.

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ALSO WATCH: IS LUKE LITTLER THE NEXT PHIL TAYLOR?

Luke Littler hit the headlines for his fairytale run at the Paddy Power World Darts Championship so Paul Nicholson answers some the key questions surrounding the 16-year-old's future on and off the oche.

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