Darts: A Sports Bettor’s Dream
Darts may be a niche sport in terms of both participation and support, but the last few years have seen a massive influx of interest in the industry. From sponsors and fans, everyone now seems to have an eye on the darts world. Indeed, whether you’re a fan of watching sports or betting on it, darts has now become a veritable hotbed of activity.
The Evolution of Darts
Why has darts become a global spectacle over the last few years? Well, one of the main reasons darts has become a mainstream sport is because of people like Barry Hearn. Through his vision to create TV entertainment through the sport, darts players such as Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and Michal van Gerwen are now household names.
One of the major turning points in the industry’s development was the push by Sky Sports to air live darts. Through its standing in the TV world and a large amount of investment, a wealth of new fans have been attracted to darts over the last decade thanks to Sky Sports. From this platform, existing darts broadcasters, such as the BBC, as well as new investors, such as ITV, have seen an impressive increase in the number of fans watching the sport.
A Difference of Opinions
As it stands today, the darts world is split into two main factions: the PDC and the BDO. Although there are other organisations, the PDC and BDO are the main players in the industry. Of the two leagues, the latter is the oldest, with a heritage that stretches back to 1973. For years this governing body was “the” place for professionals to ply their trade.
However, in 1992, a group of disgruntled players broke away from the BDO to form the PDC. This organisation quickly appointed Hearn as its Chairman and from this base it managed to find a home on Sky Sports. Since this time, the two organisations have competed for dominance, but in recent years the world’s best darts players have gravitated towards the PDC.
Why You Should Bet on Darts
The evolution of darts has given rise to an interesting new betting market. When you navigate to one of the leading online casinos, you’ll now find a slew of darts betting options. From straight win bets to over/under bets on the number of 180s in a match, darts has now become a viable option for sports betting enthusiasts.
One of the major benefits of darts betting is that it’s still a relatively young market and that means there’s a lot of scope for finding value. Although the odds makers at the leading online sportsbooks will be experts in setting odds for darts matches, they aren’t quite as proficient as their peers in other departments.
Profit from gaps
In comparison to established betting markets such as football, the odds in the darts world are a lot less defined and this creates small gaps into which you can crawl and extract some value. The best way to bet on darts is firstly to learn as much about the sport as you can. Find out which players are in form, the average number of points scored in a match and the most likely finishes. Once you’ve built up a bank of knowledge, you can then go on the hunt for betting bonuses and use them to place the best bets possible.
In fact, if you were to take our advice, darts betting should become an integral part of your overall sports betting strategy.