The World Darts Championship will offer a record-breaking amount of prize money to the eventual champion, but Gary Anderson believes some of that money should be distributed in earlier rounds
Gary Anderson is calling for a significant shake-up at the World Darts Championship that could ruffle feathers among stars like Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen. The seasoned Scotsman, a two-time champion of the tournament, is preparing for his return to Alexandra Palace when the competition kicks off in December.
Littler currently holds the crown after defeating Van Gerwen in spectacular fashion to claim his maiden world title back in January. The upcoming World Darts Championship will boast a record-shattering prize pot for whoever emerges victorious.
The champion will pocket £1million – a massive leap from the £500,000 that Littler secured earlier this year, reports the Express. However, Anderson reckons some of that cash should be spread around the opening stages instead.
“Good luck to whoever wins it, but I’d rather see a bit of that money go to the early rounds,” he told Online Darts. “It’s so expensive for a lot of the lads to play on tour. Before I’d even thrown a dart in Germany, I was £1,600 down on flights, hotels, transport – it adds up fast.”
Despite Anderson’s concerns, there will actually be increased prize money available across the entire tournament. The PDC has set aside a total pot of £5m – another doubling from the 2025 edition.
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The championship will also grow in size, featuring 128 spots compared to 96 last year. Overall prize money across all PDC events will surge by £7m to £25m, including a boost for the Premier League winner from £275,000 to £350,000.
When the prize money boost was unveiled back in March, PDC chief executive Matt Porter declared: “The £1m prize for the world champion reflects darts’ standing as one of the most exciting and in-demand sports in the world.
“The historic total will rightly attract headlines as the biggest prize ever paid out in the sport. However, the increased prize funds announced today demonstrate our commitment to growing earning potential for players at all levels within the PDC system.
“Expanding the player fields for the World Darts Championship and Grand Slam of Darts will provide more opportunities than ever before for players around the world to feature in televised PDC events.
“The incredible growth of the PDC in recent years has seen darts elevated to levels never seen before both in terms of playing opportunities and global interest.
“This is a huge moment for all players with the ambition to make it to the very pinnacle of the sport.” Anderson will compete in the World Grand Prix tonight as he takes on Raymond van Barneveld in the first round.
Both men have yet to win the competition with the Scotsman finishing as runner-up in the 2016 edition while the Dutchman also finished as runner-up in 2008 and 2009.
Belgian star Mike De Decker will enter the event as the defending champion after he bested Luke Humphries 6-4 in last year’s final.
