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Luke Littler to Lose Almost Half of His 2026 World Darts Championship Prize Money
Luke Littler comfortably beat Gian van Veen to claim a second consecutive World Darts Championship, along with a sizable prize money payout of £1 million. But ‘The Nuke’ is reportedly set to lose nearly half of that sum.
After losing the first set to ‘The Giant’, the reigning champion produced an astonishing display which saw him win seven consecutive sets to defend his crown. Van Veen had no answer for Littler’s darts, with the 18-year-old averaging 104.06 throughout the tie, the sixth highest in World Championship history.
As well as competing for the Sid Waddell Trophy, Van Veen and Littler were competing for an even greater payout in prize money. The Professional Darts Corporation had confirmed that £1m would be paid to the winner of the competition, an increase on the £500,000 that Littler had pocketed for winning the same tournament in 2025.
Luke Littler and Gian van Veen’s Guaranteed Prize Money From World Darts Championship
All eyes will be on the Alexandra Palace this evening as Luke Littler looks to defend his title against Gian van Veen.
Littler Set to Lose Nearly Half of Prize Money
Unfortunately for Littler, he will not be walking away with all of that prize money, due to a number of deductions being taken into account. According to the Daily Express, the prize money is subject to tax, with ‘The Nuke’ needing to pay the additional rate for income tax, which stands at 45%.
That will result in a hefty bill of £450,000 on the prize money. And then there are further payments due on top of that in the form of National Insurance contributions.
It was a similar story for Anthony Joshua, who was reportedly set to lose close to £32 million of his £70 million in prize money earnings from beating Jake Paul in payments in US Federal Tax, payments to HMRC and UK National Insurance.
Littler On Increased Prize Money Winnings
There has been substantial focus on the increase in prize money that was made before the World Championships began, with the £5m pool a record-breaking landmark for darts. The PDC have increased the total prize money available on the professional circuit by £7m, resulting in a total prize pot across tournaments of over £25m.
However, Littler, when asked about the increased earnings after his semi-final win against Ryan Searle, said that his focus was squarely on winning trophies, rather than earnings. He said: “It’s a massive prize. But it’s the trophy on the stage, it’s not the money.
“I’m repeating myself, but ever since the Grand Slam I have just said I want to go back-to-back. So hopefully I can lift the trophy again and think about the money after.”
Having now beaten Van Veen to the Sid Waddell Trophy, though, Littler did concede after the final that the increased prize money was a nice bonus on top of his triumph. He said: “It is life-changing for anyone. Even the first round was doubled. It’s life-changing, this win has just increased that gap from Luke Humphries and I’m in the clear as world number one.”
