Money dispute looms between PDC and players' union: "We are not on the same page about that"
PDCWednesday, 05 November 2025 at 17:04
The announced record increase in prize money within the PDC is not being received with full enthusiasm by everyone. Although the total will rise to a whopping £25 million in 2026, the Professional Darts Players Association (PDPA) is calling for additional adjustments, especially eyeing players eliminated in the first round of Players Championship tournaments.
Starting with the upcoming edition, the prize money at the PDC World Darts Championship will be increased to £5 million, with the winner receiving as much as £1 million on the Alexandra Palace stage. Yet PDPA chairman and former World Grand Prix champion Alan Warriner-Little believes the current structure is still inadequate.
According to Warriner-Little, the PDC needs to recognise that players who lose in the first round of a Players Championship tournament also deserve a reward. "We (the PDPA) are not aligned with the PDC on that," he told Online Darts. "We think players should get paid, because they are at work. That is actually self-evident."
The former pro outlines a concrete example: "A player can be on a streamboard, lose 6-5 to Luke Littler with an average of 110, and then he gets nothing. That's just not acceptable. You're supposed to get something in return. We're trying to find a balance in that with the PDC."
Currently, participants in Players Championship tournaments receive prize money only from the second round onward. Although the total prize money per tournament will increase by £25,000 next year, the first round will remain unrewarded. The increases mainly apply to players who reach the second round, quarterfinals or semifinals.
Despite the criticism, Warriner-Little acknowledges that the PDC is taking a historic step with the new division. "It's absolutely fantastic what the PDC has done. £25 million in total, £5 million for the Worlds, and £1 million for the world champion, which is incredible," the Englishman said.
He emphasises how far the sport has come. "Ten years ago, we weren't a full-time organisation. We did ad hoc meetings, but now darts has become SO big. Everybody wants to play it and everybody wants to see it. Everybody knows Luke Littler and the other top players. It's become full-time work now, 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
Alan Warriner-Little is the president of the PDPA
Razma responds via social media
Warriner-Little's comments led to a response from Madars Razma, the Latvian currently ranked 47th in the world rankings. On X (formerly Twitter), he expressed understanding for the PDC's position, but also made a sharp comment.
"I understand the position of the PDC," Razma wrote. "But this is exactly why I have been telling my wife for eight years that darts is not my job. Who pays for my time, my flights, my hotels, for the chance to work?"
Razma played all 34 Players Championship tournaments this season, good for £30,000 in prize money, but he lost 14 times in the first round, leaving him without earnings at nearly half the tournaments. The Latvian, meanwhile, has qualified for the Players Championship Finals in Minehead later this month, where he will earn £3,000 anyway.
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- Ridiculous booing there from the crowd during Van Gerwen's Match. It is about time they moved these tournaments away from all being in England, huge bias for the English players. Sky have done an awful job of cutting all the walk-on music off tonightListerAnderson08-11-2025
- Woke b*****ks.Mysstree08-11-2025
- As good as Beau is, she would have struggled against Trina in her prime. Trina would have beaten most of the men in those days. She was absolutely dominant but won such a disgracefully low amount of prize money. It is great to see her backrichieburnettrocks06-11-2025
- While i do not think dart players should be paid a wage or even expenses it is ludicrous that you get nothing for turning up on the Pro Tour and losing in the first round whereas the officials are being paid a wage. Should have left the World Champion prize money at £500k and split the other £500k down the ranks. A side note to this. Would not surprise me the reason that Warriner Little and Chris Mason are not being retained for TV coverage is because of their support and backing to the players.Mysstree05-11-2025
- Probably go 1. Wright, 2. Anderson, 3. Wilson, 4. Thornton. Hard to compare Wilson to the other three as his career was over early PDC (WDC). Thornton has two PDC majors, outplayed Taylor to win the UK Open and outplayed MvG to win the Grand Prix and both were in their prime. Wright does have 7 PDC Majors whereas Anderson has 5.Mysstree05-11-2025
- Bunch of Muppets.Mysstree04-11-2025
- Remember watching this and it’s not quite how it unfolded. Waites did play well however when they went off for a break with Wade well in the lead it was almost as if a different Wade came back. Probably one of his bi-polar episodes which was not so widely known then. I still include the GSOD as being a Major even when it was not officially classed as such so in my eyes Scott Waites is the only non PDC player to have won a PDC Major and is a far bigger win in terms of prestige than either of his BDO World titles.Mysstree04-11-2025
- This site gets so much wrong. It says 3 of the top in one group. That can never happen.
me03-11-2025 - Tell you what vdv,I'd love to see you size up to him!!🤣rick6703-11-2025
- Tell you what vdv,I'd love to see you size up to him!!🤣rick6703-11-2025
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