Darts stars have prize money CUT ahead of World Championship with total pot for iconic Lakeside tournament just £221k

DARTS stars have seen their prize pot slashed for the upcoming WDF World Championships.

The inaugural edition of the tournament was staged by the World Darts Federation at Lakeside in 2022.

That saw the overall prize money total £300,000.

Now that is down £79,000, and £36,000 on last year, as the financial incentive to play in the competition continues to dwindle.

Belgian Andy Baetens claimed the 2023 men's title, while Beau Greaves triumphed in the women's event.

And the money on offer for winning the tournament will remain the same for the 2024 edition - which runs from November 29 to December 8.

The men's champion will receive £50,000, while the women's winner will take home £25,000.

However, the rewards for the runners-up have been cut to £16,000 and £8,000 respectively.

This means the champions will receive a sizeable pot, while the losing finalists will earn just ONE THIRD of their opponent's prize money.

Those who suffer first-round exits will also receive less, £750 compared to £1,000 last year.

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The winner of the boys' tournament will take home £3,000 - down by £2,000.

The girls' champion will earn £1500, down by £500.

By comparison, the prize money for last year's PDC World Darts Championship stood at £2.5million, with Luke Humphries pocketing a cool £500,000.