UK Betting Brands Continue To Absorb The Luke Littler Success Story

The frenzied interest in darting sensation Luke Littler is showing no signs of slowing down, at least from a betting perspective anyway. Littler has the world at his feet at the age of 19, and many of the top UK betting sites are continuing to price up short odds for him in every tournament he competes in.

While the World Championships almost feel like a distant memory, the Premier League is already in full swing. With two weeks of the competition down, Littler finds himself the hunted as he’s the reigning champion.

A poster boy for betting brands

Littler’s rise to prominence has been nothing short of extraordinary. Darts has gained more traction, and the sport has Littler to thank for that, as he’s becoming the undisputed force on the oche.

BetMGM, which is the headline sponsor of the Premier League, has cottoned on to the Littler story. Littler has been a poster boy for darts, and his growth has only been a good thing for the sport and BetMGM. That is according to Andy Wright, UK & Ireland Managing Director for LeoVegas, who operate BetMGM.

In an interview with SBC News, Wright said:

“Luke [Littler] has played a significant role in the global growth of darts, and his rise to becoming one of the world’s best players has been hugely positive for the sport, and for us as sponsors.

“The launch of our brand coincided with the boom in darts’ popularity, and when the opportunity arose to become the title sponsor of the Premier League, we felt it was a natural and compelling fit.”

Staggering levels of dominance

At the World Championships at Alexandra Palace last month, Littler stormed to his second World title, becoming the first player to successfully defend the crown since Gary Anderson went back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. It also marked Littler’s third final in a row.

Moreover, Littler recorded the most number of 180s, registering 73 across the tournament. He earned himself the Ballon d’Art trophy for the most maximums amassed, but the tournament’s title sponsor, Paddy Power, raised over £1 million for charity.

Naturally, Littler carries short-priced odds for every tournament he’s involved in. In the Premier League last year, Littler had the highest tournament average (102.81) and registered the most 180s (169). And Wright has conceded that Littler continues to lead the way by some distance generally in tournament outright markets.

He added: “Littler has drifted slightly after being knocked out in the quarter-finals on Night 1 in Newcastle, and then in the semi-finals in Antwerp, but he remains the odds-on favourite to lift the trophy. Across every major tournament, we’re seeing ‘The Nuke’ lead the market, with a significant gap in odds to the second favourite.”

Viewing figures present a mixed picture

Although the World Darts Championship Final drew in a peak audience of 2.5 million, average viewership for Littler’s second triumph saw a sharp decline of 48.5% compared to the previous year, perhaps suggesting viewers are waning in their interest in Littler.

That said, Sky Sports’s total viewership was up 13% year-on-year (YoY). Overall viewership, meanwhile, was up 100% compared to four years ago, indicating the affection the UK has for darts.

Keeping the hype train going

Currently, Littler continues to call the shots in elite darts. A new 10-year deal with his darts supplier worth £20 million signed at the beginning of the year, underlines his market value. While his dominance might seem dull, the hype train trundles on.