Championship Darts Corporation Partners with US Integrity to Responsibly Introduce Gaming to Events

LAS VEGAS, NV (July 11, 2023) – Today U.S. Integrity (“USI”) and Championship Darts Corporation (CDC) – North America’s Professional Darts Tour – announce a comprehensive partnership to protect the integrity of the sport and introduce gaming to future events. The agreement will span the entirety of the 2023 calendar year and carry into 2024.

U.S. Integrity will provide integrity monitoring services via its proprietary dashboard to CDC that will encompass data intelligence and fraud prevention. U.S. Integrity conducts analysis across dozens of data sets to proactively identify irregular contest-level & wagering patterns.

“As the North American partner of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), it is imperative that we enter the wagering space with clear eyes on preserving the integrity of our game. This partnership with U.S. Integrity aligned perfectly with our goals and vision in which the protection of our sport and its fans are of utmost importance in our next growth phase. As sports betting evolves for consumers and our fans around the states, we feel integrity protection, data monitoring and fraud prevention will be a key driver for sustained growth here at CDC.” Said Peter Citera, CDC CEO.

“U.S. Integrity is proud to partner with CDC as fan engagement and wagering interest on their events continues to elevate in mature and new jurisdictions,” says Matthew Holt, U.S. Integrity’s CEO & co-founder. He continued, “U.S. Integrity’s mission is to provide conflict-free, best in class insights & compliance solutions to our clients. This partnership continues to take steps forward and it starts with the commitment and collaboration of Peter and his outstanding team at CDC team.”

ABOUT U.S. INTEGRITY:

U.S. Integrity is a leading technology-driven sports wagering monitoring company, providing the highest level of protection against betting-related fraud and corruption. U.S. Integrity’s mission is to grow the legal, regulated sports betting market by providing solutions that ensure sports betting integrity in every play, every game, every sport. Supported by investors including SeventySix Capital and Las Vegas Sands, U.S. Integrity partners with a number of the largest professional sports leagues and collegiate conferences in the U.S., as well as licensed sports-betting operators and regulators. U.S. Integrity is based in Las Vegas and New York.

ABOUT CHAMPIONSHIP DARTS CORPORATION:

Championship Darts Corporation (CDC) owns and operates the Championship Darts Circuit, North America’s professional darts tour, consisting of 12 regular season tournaments leading into The Continental Cup Tour Finals Championship. We are the official North American affiliate of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) – the global head of professional darts, which stages events across the world with over $17 million in prize money. CDC provides the exclusive path to the World Darts Championship, World Series of Darts, World Cup of Darts and other major international events for US and Canadian players. The company also focuses on the next generation of players, running two youth tours to provide exclusive opportunities to play internationally via our affiliation with both the PDC and Junior Darts Corporation (JDC).

Spellman Magical in Indy

The 2022 Continental Cup champion, Alex Spellman, came through an all-American final four to win his first tour title of the year, defeating Jason Brandon 7-5 in the finals to win the 2023 A-Z Darts Duel. Spellman averaged 95.78 in that final matchup, and ended the day with an overall average 91.82 and a first 9 average of 100.76, taking out a 170 finish along the way.

In the quarterfinals, Daniel Baggish was victorious over Keifer Durham 6-2, and Leonard Gates defeated Keith Way 6-1, to join Jason Brandon, who beat top seed Jacob Taylor, and Alex Spellman, who knocked off third seed David Cameron, in securing all four semifinal spots for the American players.

Main Event #1 winner, Jake Womack, was beaten in the last 16 by Jacob Taylor, who exacted some revenge against Womack for his defeat the previous night. Jim Long and American snipers Doug Boehm, Joey Lynaugh, and Chuck Puleo, all stumbled in the last 16 as well, while Danny Lauby, John Norman Jr, Gary Mawson, and 3-time World Champion John Part, failed to get past the last 32.

Danny Lauby, despite his loss in the last 16, was the top scorer, ending with a 94.61 average, while 9 players, including Spellman and Lauby, exceeded 40% on their checkout success. Spellman popped in ten 180s on his way to the title.

The evening closed with the first of two qualifiers for the PDC bet365 US Darts Masters and North Amercian Championship at Madison Square Garden in two weeks. Tennesee’s Jason Brandon booked his spot on the big stage with a 5-1 win over the reigning Ontario Provincial Champion, Jake Macmillan.

CDC Indianapolis darting action concludes on Sunday with the final US Darts Masters qualifier, followed by Championship Darts Circuit Main Event #3 – the HitKor Indianapolis 501.

 

Article by Brian Fraser

May 20, 2023

Jacob Womack Victorious in Indianapolis

The much anticipated start of the 2023 Championship Darts Corporation main event season began on Friday night with Main Event 1, the 2023 Galaxy Barrel Bash in Indianapolis, Indiana. Emerging victorious from a star-studded field of North America’s finest players was Jake Womack, the 2019 Evolution Tour champion who earned his first title on the main tour.

 

Womack opened his season with a hard fought 5-4 victory over Ryan Vander Weit, and followed that with a 5-0 victory over Hossey Hicks. He then rattled off three consecutive victories over top-10 ranked players, defeating 2022 top Canadian, David Cameron (6-3), American legend Larry Butler (6-4), and Jacob Taylor 7-6 in the semifinals, where both players played outstanding.

 

In the finals, Womack came out on fire and took advantage of a slow start by Stowe Buntz to create a 6-0 lead. Buntz found his form and tried to mount a comeback, but he could not overcome the lead and Jake Womack earned the 7-2 victory.

 

Prior to the finals, Stowe Buntz was perhaps the on-form player of the day. Last year’s two-time finalist event earned a victory over John Steinhofer in the last 64 before dismantling Sylvain Bourdeau with a 95.94 average. He then defeated the reigning North American champion, Leonard Gates, in the last 16, the reigning Continental Cup champion, Alex Spellman, in the last 8, and the 2022 points leader, Danny Baggish, in the semifinals.

 

Danny Lauby, after taking time off from the tourn last season, had a nice return to CDC action, defeating Chuck Puleo, Chris Lawson, and Elliot Milk, before succumbing to Jacob Taylor in the quarterfinals.

 

It was a strong showing for many players today. Alex Spellman, despite his defeat in the last 8, led the way with a 97.68 average on the day, with a staggering 51% checkout success. Stowe Buntz led the way with 14x 180.

 

Play continues on Saturday, May 20, with Main Event #2, the A-Z Darts Duel, which will be followed by the first qualifier for a spot in the 2023 US Darts Masters.

 

Article by Brian Fraser

May 19, 2023

Championship Darts Corporation Signs with Buchwald Agency

Partnership Aims to Secure Traditional Broadcast and New Media Opportunities

CHICAGO, May 18, 2023: Championship Darts Corporation (CDC), owner and operator of the Championship Darts Circuit, North America’s Professional Darts Tour, today announces it has signed an 18-month representation agreement with Buchwald, the premier talent agency for broadcast communications, to explore opportunities to expand the reach of North American professional darts into both traditional broadcast and new media platforms.

Buchwald, formerly known as Don Buchwald and Associates, is perhaps best known for its representation of legendary radio icon, Howard Stern, though the firm now boasts a client roster that includes hundreds of actors and creative talent across the country. CDC will be represented by Tony Burton, Co-Head of the firm’s Broadcast Department, based in the New York office.

“With more than 17 million players in the United States, darts has quickly gone from a pub game to one of the fastest-growing industries in professional sports. Television, digital streaming, social media and live events now provide passionate fans with more viewing opportunities than ever before. We are thrilled to partner with the CDC as they continue to provide their fans and players with the most exciting tournament experience in professional darts across the continent!”
– Tony Burton, Co-Head – Broadcast Department, Buchwald

CDC is the North American affiliate of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), the leader in global professional darts. With 12 Main Tour events, two major tournaments (the Continental Cup and Cross Border Darts Challenge) and numerous other competitions, CDC is the only path to the international stage for top darting talent in the United States and Canada. The recent launch of Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean (CDLC) – regional affiliate of the CDC – puts the company at the forefront of professional darts across half the globe. Its broadcasts can currently be found on PDCTV, the official streaming service of the Professional Darts Corporation, as well as on its YouTube channel and Facebook page under the handle @champdarts.

“We’re really excited about the opportunities this partnership can provide and the doors it will open. Darts is truly an electric sport filled with fast-paced action, a passionate fan base that loves to party and larger-than-life personalities. The growth of the game on this continent is approaching critical mass and the time is right to bring the game into mainstream sports consciousness in North America.”
– Peter Citera, CEO, Championship Darts Corporation

The 2023 Championship Darts Circuit kicks off this coming weekend in Indianapolis with Main Events on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. Follow along with the stream on PDCTV or the CDC YouTube channel. Live scoring of all matches can be accessed via our scoring partner, DartConnect, at tv.dartconnect.com.

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About Buchwald

BUCHWALD was launched by Don Buchwald and five associates in 1977. Built on the cornerstone of our commercial and broadcast departments, our full-service agency offers representation in every area of the entertainment industry: commercial, broadcast, film, theatre, television, literary, feature film packaging, personal appearance, syndication (radio, television and digital), branding/digital, and emerging talent. More information available at www.buchwald.com

About Championship Darts Corporation

Championship Darts Corporation operates the Championship Darts Circuit, North America’s professional darts tour. Founded in 2014 by three individuals with a combined 80-plus years of experience promoting the game, its goal is to elevate the level of play, produce top-quality darts entertainment and cultivate the next North American World Champion.

For further information, email info@champdarts.com or see www.champdarts.com.

CDC Races to Indianapolis

The stars of the Championship Darts Circuit return to action for the launch of the 2023 campaign- May 19-21 in Indiana.

Kickoff Weekend on the 2023 Championship Darts Circuit will see Alex Spellman, the reigning CDC Continental Cup Champion, take his first step towards a title defense alongside the current PDC North American Champion Leonard Gates. The spectacular field also includes last season’s overall Tour Points leader, Danny Baggish, who is joined by the top 2022 Canadian player, David Cameron. CDC’s all time winningest player Larry Butler will also toe the oche along with rising star Gavin Nicoll.

These players will be joined by many others – including a significant number of Circuit debutants – as they clash in Brownsburg for their share of a $10,000 purse (per event) along with valuable tour points towards the rankings. All three events will be streamed live on PDC TV and simulcast on the CDC YouTube channel (@champdarts). Live coverage begins 30 minutes after each tournament commences.

Weekend #1- Indianapolis Event Schedule:

  • Event #1- May 19th @ 6:00 pm “Galaxy Barrel Bash”
  • Event #2- May 20th @ 12:00 pm “A-Z Darts Duel”
  • Event #3- May 21st @ 2:00 pm “HitKor Indianapolis 501”

Event Prize Money:

Champion: $2,000 / Runner-up: $1,000 / Top 4: $800 / Top 8: $600 / Top 16: $375

Event Format:

Best-of-9 Legs through the round of 32 / Last 16 and quarterfinals: Best-of-11 Legs / Semifinals and Final: Best-of-13 Legs

ENTRY LIST:

Ricky Allred
Matt Arpin
Danny Baggish
Joe Beecroft
Doug Boehm
Sylvain Bourdeau
Jason Brandon
Trevor Buboltz
Stowe Buntz
Larry Butler
Chris Caldwell
David Cameron
Harry Carter
Roger Carter
Joe Chaney
Darryl Christie
Anthony Cianciolo
Bradley Clause
James Damore
JT Davis
Keifer Durham
Michael Esquibel
Rob Ethington
David Fatum
Justin Fawcett
Brian Fenlon
Gino Florian
Paul Forauer
Chris Franklin
Ben Garner
Leonard Gates
Nick Georgeson
Joe Hedrick
Hossey Hicks
Jacob Johnson
Brandon Kessler
Patrick Kithi
John Kuczynski
Danny Lauby
Ed Laveck
Chris Lawson
Randall Lewis
John Liggett
Nick Linberg
Jim Long
Ron Looker
Joey Lynaugh
Jake Macmillan
Gary Mawson
Elliot Milk
Jeremiah Millar
Michael Nguyen
Gavin Nicoll
John Norman
Tim OBrien
Rory Orvis
John Part
Charles Puleo
Anthony Romero
Eugene Schmitt
Jimmy Solek
Alex Spellman
Jeff Springer Jr
Seth Steffano
John Steinhofer
Chris Swanson
Jacob Taylor
Matthew Thompson
Ryan Vander Weit
Steve Warnock
Jason Watt
Keith Way
Jake Womack
Darin Young