Luke Littler can boost his 2026 earnings once again
Luke Littler has an opportunity to bolster his bank balance later this month(Image: (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images))
Luke Littler has the opportunity to reclaim some of the winnings he’s set to lose of his £1million prize for winning the PDC World Darts Championship. The 18-year-old became the first man since Gary Anderson to win back-to-back world titles after defeating Gian van Veen at Alexandra Palace on Saturday night.
Littler bested the Dutchman 7-1 in yet another dominating performance during the tournament, which has seen Littler reach the final for three consecutive years. Already a serial record-breaker in darts, the teenager also became the first player to capture the £1m prize on offer with his victory.
The mammoth prize was a £500,000 increase on last year’s prize, which Littler also claimed, but due to UK tax laws, the world champion will lose almost half of his entire payout. His winnings will be taxed at the additional rate (45 per cent) for income tax, likely leaving him with a bill of up to £450,000.
National Insurance contributions will be added, leaving Littler with almost a tax bill of £470,000 thanks to his second world championship win. However, a swift opportunity to bank more cash awaits Littler, who is set to compete in the Bahrain Darts Masters, which starts on January 15.
The Nuke won the event in 2024 after defeating Michael van Gerwen 8-5 in the final, which secured him a £30,000 victory. The Bahrain Masters marked Littler’s World Series debut and now will return two years later as a 10-time PDC major title winner.
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Speaking to talkSPORT, Littler laid out his plans for January: “We fly out to Bahrain next Sunday, so obviously we’ll have five, six days off and then we’re back on the road, back on a flight. I want to go and try and win that title in Bahrain once again.”
Should Littler claim the title for a second time in his career, it’ll leave him with just a handful of days to rest and recharge before the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters. The first event of its kind, it begins on January 19 in Riyadh, and the world champion revealed his motivation ahead of the tournament.
He said: “I obviously want to set a marker and try and win the first Saudi Arabian World Series. After Saudi Arabia, me, mum dad and Faith, we’re going over to Dubai for three, four nights and chill out.”
The prize money for World Series events last year was set at £30,000, although the winnings for the 2026 tournaments have yet to be confirmed. Regarded as the man to potentially equal or surpass Phil Taylor’s historic record of 16 world titles, Littler admitted after Saturday’s heroics that he plans to “dominate” the sport.
“It’s what dreams are made of,” he said. “Nothing will ever beat a first world title – for anyone, in any sport, because that’s the first time you’ve done it. But this was all about retaining it. To go back-to-back feels amazing. I want to dominate everything, I want to try to win everything.”
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
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