Luke Littler to lose almost half of £1m prize after winning World Championship | Other | Sport
Luke Littler has etched his name into darts folklore by becoming the first player in a decade to claim consecutive World Championships, demolishing Gian van Veen 7-1 at Alexandra Palace on Saturday night. The teenage sensation proved far too strong for the Dutchman, maintaining the dominant form he’d displayed throughout the entire tournament to remain the king of Ally Pally.
New world No.3 Van Veen had earned his maiden final appearance with a spectacular performance against Gary Anderson in what proved to be an instant classic. Littler, by contrast, cruised into his third consecutive final with a commanding 6-1 victory over Ryan Searle. Once again, Littler has rewritten the record books, becoming the first player to claim the tournament’s £1million top prize.
The competition featured an unprecedented £5m prize fund, with the winner’s cheque representing a substantial £500,000 increase on the previous year’s reward. Van Veen will take home £400,000 as runner-up, whilst Anderson and Searle each collected £200,000 for reaching the semi-finals. However, Littler will see nearly half his £1m windfall disappear due to UK taxation rules.
His earnings face the additional rate (45 per cent) for income tax, potentially resulting in a bill approaching £450,000. National Insurance contributions will further reduce that sum.
When questioned about the £1m prize after beating Van Veen, Littler said: «It is life-changing. Even for this tournament, the first round was doubled. This win has increased that gap from Luke Humphries and I’m in the clear for No 1.»
Asked about his first purchase, the teenager – who ended with the sixth-highest tournament average ever of 104.06 – added: «I don’t know. I can’t change car just yet. We’ll have to see, we’ll have to see!»
The PDC boosted prize funds throughout the professional darts circuit by an extraordinary £7million in 2026, bringing the total prize pot across their tournaments to more than £25million.
Discussing the changes last year, PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter remarked: «The £1 million prize for the World Champion reflects darts’ standing as one of the most exciting and in-demand sports in the world.
«This 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.»
