The PDC World Darts Championship is a world championship competition for the sport of darts, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). It was introduced following a dispute in 1994 with the British Darts Organisation, which has run its own world championship since 1978. The biggest of the PDC tournaments, it traditionally begins in late December, finishing in early January just as the BDO's version gets underway.
The tournament is currently sponsored by Ladbrokes.com and is now staged at the Alexandra Palace in London after being held the Circus Tavern inPurfleet for its first 14 years.
Only 4 players have won this championship: Dennis Priestley, Phil Taylor, John Part and Raymond van Barneveld. Of these, only Taylor and Part have won it more than once. Taylor has dominated the tournament, winning 13 titles and reaching 16 of the first 17 finals.

In 1994 some high profile players, including all previous winners of the BDO World Darts Championship still active in the game, formed the WDC (now PDC), and began to organise their own World Championships. Dennis Priestley won the inaugural competition.
The players who broke away were taking a significant gamble - the tournament was broadcast on satellite television rather than terrestrial and the prize fund for the early WDC World Championships was lower than the BDO version. In 2002, the PDC prize fund overtook the BDO for the first time and the PDC event now boasts the largest prize fund of any darts competition, the PDC and sponsors Ladbrokes have announced that prize money will reach £1 million by 2010 with the winner set to collect £200,000.