Wondering how to bet on darts? Our comprehensive guide offers the key information to get you started, including how to read darts betting odds and the popular type of darts bets.
Darts has seen a sensational growth in popularity in recent years. Whether fans are tuning into Premier League action on a Thursday night or wagering on the PDC World Championship, darts betting markets are attracting more fans than ever before.
Adored as a great in-person spectacle, if you’re big into darts then you might be wondering how best to get in on the betting action. Take a look at our breakdown below for everything you need to know on the sport, and placing a bet.
How does darts betting work?
Darts betting is a bit different to other mainstream sports, mainly due to its unique scoring and play formats. Still, much of the language will be familiar if you’ve wagered on tennis, badminton or other individual sports.
For example, match winner and handicap betting markets are extremely popular, while outright markets – such as the winner of the next World Championship – attract plenty of interest, as do specials like the player who will have the most 180s or the highest checkout in a given match.
How to read darts betting odds
Bettors will often find fractional odds used for darts markets. These might seem daunting for newcomers to betting on darts, but they are very easy to read.
In the fractional odds format, the number on the right of the fraction represents a stake, while the number on the left is the potential winnings from that stake. For example, if Luke Humphries is 4/1 to win the World Championship, this means a £1 bet would potentially return £4 in winnings. If the stake was increased to £10, the winnings would be £40 (or £50 including the initial stake).
Darts betting explained
There’s never a guarantee of winning when betting on the darts, but there are steps you can take to increase your chances. Research is vital, and darts is no exception:
Learn about the form of the players involved, and whether a specific player has especially overachieved or underachieved in previous editions of a tournament.
Look into head-to-head matchups, too. Some darts players may simply have a psychological edge over an opponent. Rivalries and crowd support can make all the difference, too, particularly when the stakes get higher and the pressure is greater in the latter rounds.
Certain players also need the regular competition of the Premier League. Others find they can get on a roll in pure knockout tournaments. Study the traits of each player to find out where you can gain an edge when placing your bet.
Common mistakes when betting on the darts
Part of learning how to bet on darts (and hopefully win) requires learning the common mistakes. Here is a quick look at the sorts of things you should avoid doing when placing your first darts bet:
Only backing your favourite players.
Only placing accumulators with long odds.
Disregarding the form guide.
Overreacting to one good or bad performance.
Some of the biggest darts betting markets
Before you start betting on darts, you first need to know where to place your bets. Here are the main competitions that people like to get involved in:
European Tour: A series of tournaments across Europe.
Modus Super Series: A tournament featuring a wide range of players, past and present.
PDC World Championship: The highlight of the darts calendar, which takes place at Alexandra Palace.
Darts Premier League: A weekly event running from February to May.
The Grand Slam of Darts: A 32-player tournament in Wolverhampton.
Darts World Grand Prix: Previously held in Dublin, the tournament moved to Leicester a few years ago.
World Matchplay: Summer showpiece held in Blackpool.
UK Open darts: Open to all darts players and with an unseeded draw, it’s often known as the ‘FA Cup of darts’.
The Masters darts: A 32-player tournament, featuring the top 24 from the Order of Merit and eight qualifiers.
Popular darts bets
Now that you know the key events, you next-need to settle on what bet you want to make from the core set darts betting options:
Match betting: A simple bet on which player will win a given match.
Most 180s: You can choose which player will register the most 180s in a match.
Correct score: An exact score prediction on how many legs/sets each player will win.
Highest checkout: Like most 180s, you just need to pick which player will have the highest checkout.
Nine dart finish: Will either player have a nine-dart finish?
In play betting: Any bets placed after the match has begun are referred to as in-play bets.
How does darts handicap betting work?
It wouldn’t be a complete guide for betting on the darts without covering handicaps. Darts handicap betting works much the same as tennis and other sports, where the favoured player effectively start the match on a negative number.
For example, if Luke Littler is -2.5 in a five-set match, this would mean a bet on Littler would only pay out if he won 3-0, as he needs to win by at least three sets to cover the handicap. Alternatively, if Littler was -1.5, he could win 3-1 or 3-0, and the bet would still pay out. Meanwhile, his opponent would be +1.5 in this instance, and a bet on them would win even if they lost by one set.
It can seem daunting for darts betting newcomers, but handicap betting is relatively straightforward if you understand how the scoring works.
How does each-way betting work in darts?
An each-way bet on darts refers to a bet that includes a win bet and a place bet. These are seen in outright markets for events like the PDC World Championship, Grand Slam of Darts and World Matchplay.
A win bet is as it sounds. This is a wager on a player to win the event overall. However, a place bet refers to the player ‘placing’, which usually means they will finish first or second, given the knockout format of most events.
The place bet is usually paid at half the odds of the win bet (though, be sure to check your betslip to confirm). So, if Luke Humphries was 10/1 to win outright, the place bet would pay out at 5/1. If he won the tournament, both the win bet and the place bet would land.
How to bet on the darts online
There’s no better place for betting on darts than Betway. It couldn’t be easier to get started, either:
Just head to our account registration page, enter the required personal details, and you’re well on your way to beginning your darts betting journey.
You may need to verify your information with a bank statement, ID, or other document. This shouldn’t take long.
Once this is complete, you will be able to select your preferred payment method to deposit funds into your Betway account for the first time.
Select how much money you want to add.
Then you can set about betting on darts – find the right market for you, and enter your stake!
Where to bet on the darts
Once you’re confident you know how to bet on darts and how darts handicap betting works, it’s time to find where is best for betting on darts. Look no further than our wide range of darts odds.
Along with its high-quality website and highly competitive odds, we also boast two brilliant apps, which can be found on the Play Store or the App Store.
Related to darts betting
While we’ve answered ‘how does each way betting work in darts’ and covered all the basics, if you’re after more information on darts and other sports, you might not know where to look.
Thankfully, our blog goes far beyond the basics with its darts coverage. You can find everything from our complete guide to the World Grand Prix darts to the format of the Grand Slam of Darts, and how Premier League Darts works.
Elsewhere on the blog, you can also learn about World Matchplay Darts, when the UK Open takes place, and how the Masters work.
