darts

Darts Fans Descend on London for the Ladbrokes World Championship

Over the Christmas 2012 period the Alexandra Palace in North London was home to the Professional Darts Corporation’s annual Worlds Darts Championship event. The tournament, sponsored by bookmakers Ladbrokes, ran from Friday 14 December until the Tuesday 1 January, and during that time fans were treated to some exceptional play.

The tournament culminated in a memorable final between Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, with the former ultimately managing to win the tie 7 – 4. This meant that Taylor had won an unprecedented sixteenth world title, and the fans who were lucky enough to witness it saw history in the making. Indeed, despite the fact that the entire tournament was shown live on television it was incredibly well attended. This was not only beneficial to the image of professional darts as a spectator sport, but also to the economy of London in general.

Thousands of fans descended upon London for the PDC Ladbrokes World Championship, with many being able to stay for the duration of the event. This resulted in much needed extra revenue for the hotels of the area during the off-peak season. Taxi firms also saw an increase in trade due to fans’ requirements for transportation to the Alexandra Palace. There is no question that coffee shops, bars, diners, and restaurants were also beneficiaries of the increase in visitors that the tournament brought about.

Fans arrived in London from throughout the British Isles, but also from other countries around the world. The Netherlands were well represented, with fans of Michael van Gerwen, Raymond van Barneveld, and Vincent van der Voort turning up in large numbers. There were even Australian fans present to cheer on Simon Whitlock. The influx of passengers travelling to the tournament must surely have been a boost for various air, rail, and ferry operators. In addition, the foreign visitors added to the already warm, friendly, and multicultural atmosphere of England’s capital city.

Commentators were in agreement that the 2012 PDC World Darts Championship was a resounding success. The spectators at the live event, as well as those fans watching the action unfold on television, could not have failed to notice the sponsorship by Ladbrokes. Betting on the outcome of the tournament was heavy, both in high street betting shops and at Ladbrokes.com.

While any increase in traffic to the Ladbrokes website could be attributed in part to betting on the PDC World Darts Championship, this is not the whole story. Ladbrokes offer visitors a huge variety of casino games to play in addition to sports betting. Roulette, blackjack, slots, video poker, baccarat, and scratch cards are just some of the games that are available to play. Members can also benefit from a variety of special offers such as sign-up and deposit bonuses.

Many of the people who visited the site as a result of the PDC World Darts Championship will have remained on the site to play the numerous exciting casino games on offer. There is no question that the tie-in, and the tournament itself, has been an enormous success, and as a result it looks set to continue for many years.

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