Skint BDO chiefs slash World Darts Championship winning prize money from £100k to just £23k as problems mount
CASH-STRAPPED BDO chiefs are preparing to slash the Indigo champion’s prize money by a whopping £77,000!
And this could open the door for a series of legal challenges from angry darts stars.
Glen Durrant, 49, earned £100,000 for lifting the BDO world darts trophy at Lakeside in January 2019.
However, several BDO players have been told verbally they can expect a minimum of just £23,000 for becoming the 2020 world champion on Sunday.
It is also believed the runner-up will get £10,000 – down by £25,000 from 12 months ago – and semi-finalists will pick up just £5,000.
SunSport has approached BDO chairman Des Jacklin for comment but these figures have been confirmed by a number of disenfranchised stars.
The women’s prize fund was supposed to be a world record £20,000 but it has been slashed to £8,000.
The BDO is struggling financially following poor tickets sales and rising TV production costs.
It is expected this will be the last world championship in its current guise.
I’m not abandoning the BDO but as long as Des Jacklin is chairman of the BDO I won’t do business with them again
1:1 Producties owner Erwin Beenhakker
A leading Dutch TV production company claims the BDO have not paid them for broadcasting the disastrous 2019 World Masters.
The 1:1 Producties company have started legal proceedings to reclaim more than £20,000 in unpaid money from the doomed BDO.
The Dutch firm organised the TV broadcast, presenters, make-up artists, sound directors and travel details for the event at Purfleet last October.
According to 1:1 Producties, Jacklin responded in writing to say he “hopes” to pay them after the Indigo World Darts championships.
Owner Erwin Beenhakker, who has worked in TV for 30 years, told SunSport: “This is unacceptable. This is a lot of money.
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“The BDO are in financial difficulty. I’ve had clients in the past who were at a similar point but as long as you keep talking and be honest and open then I’m willing to find a way to help each other.
“I’m not abandoning the BDO but as long as Des Jacklin is chairman of the BDO I won’t do business with them again.”
The WDF withdrew its governing body support for the BDO after the chaotic World Masters, which involved a re-draw once the event had started.