A double checkout has been scored by Mr Vegas in the world of darts, as it has extended its title sponsorship of the PDC‘s Grand Slam of Darts and Nordic Darts Masters events for a further two years.
Mr Vegas highlighted the importance of the partnership in directing players to regulated operators in the UK market, which is set to undergo a significant change following the increase in remote gaming duty to 40% from April this year and the introduction of a new general betting duty rate of 25% from April 2027.
Marco Trucco, chief marketing officer at Immense Group, the parent company of Mr Vegas, commented: “Darts is the most engaging and accessible sport in the UK and across Europe, and the Grand Slam and Nordic Masters play a central role in that growth. We believe in long-term partnerships built around entertainment and consistency.
“Unfortunately, the new gaming duty will hit the sport leagues and teams that chose to partner with regulated, UK-facing operators, and reward the organisations who are happy to take money from anyone. In that context, our decision to extend our partnership with the PDC is a statement of confidence in the future of legal and safe online gambling in the UK.”
Perfect storm
The 2026 Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts is scheduled to take place in Wolverhampton from 7 to 14 November, while the Nordic Darts Masters is set to be held in Copenhagen from 5 to 6 June.
Last year’s Grand Slam of Darts saw Luke Littler achieve a 16-11 victory over Luke Humphries in the final. The event was also a big win for Mr Vegas, alongside its sponsorship of ITV’s Big Brother, as the reality TV show and the darts event helped the operator grow its playerbase.
“The overlap with the Grand Slam of Darts created a perfect storm,” Trucco explained recently to iGaming Expert.
“There was one particular week where we were present across the biggest entertainment show on ITV2 and the biggest sports event on Sky Sports Main Event. That visibility delivered our highest-ever acquisition week and solidified our position as a major player in the UK market.
“The darts final itself couldn’t have been better timed. Luke Humphries, the face of Mr Vegas, rose to superstar status at the same moment that Luke Littler captured the imagination of the sport. We benefitted from a final that every sponsor dreams of.
“On Big Brother, we had a 60-year-old winner in Richard Storry, which aligned perfectly with the demographic that connects most strongly with our brand.”
Adam Perfect, head of commercial for the PDC, added: “We are delighted to be extending our successful partnership with Mr Vegas as title sponsor of two huge events in the darting calendar. Their sponsorship has brought great energy to these events and is really starting to build a strong legacy and association with the Mr Vegas brand.
“We look forward to two more years working with the Mr Vegas team across the exciting activations at both the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts and Nordic Darts Masters.”
This story was first published on Affiliate Leaders’ sister title, iGaming Expert.
