**Former World Darts Championship Semi-Finalist Handed 11-Year Ban in Major Match-Fixing Scandal**
A high-profile match-fixing scandal has shaken the world of darts, with former World Darts Championship semi-finalist Andy Jenkins receiving a staggering 11-year ban from all Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) events. Jenkins, who has long been regarded as a notable figure within the sport, was also ordered to pay a fine of £17,580 after being found guilty of serious breaches of competition integrity.
The DRA disciplinary committee’s investigation concluded that Jenkins had manipulated the outcome of 12 games in the MODUS Super Series, with offences occurring over a period extending from February 2022 to July 2023. The ruling states he not only fixed matches, but also supplied confidential information to bettors and, crucially, placed 88 bets himself on matches through his own account.
Although Jenkins staunchly denied the match-fixing allegations during the proceedings, he admitted to placing the bets personally. The severity of the ban, which is backdated to November 2023, means Jenkins will not be eligible to compete or even participate in DRA-sanctioned events until November 15, 2034.
This is a dramatic fall from grace for the 54-year-old, whose career highlights include clinching 15 professional titles and famously reaching the PDC World Darts Championship semi-finals in 2007, where he was defeated by the eventual champion, Raymond van Barneveld. Jenkins also made impressive appearances in the semi-finals of both the UK Open and World Grand Prix, while at his peak he climbed to No. 8 in the PDC Order of Merit.
The scale of the ban reflects the DRA’s continuing determination to root out corruption within the sport and sends a clear warning to would-be offenders. John Pierce, the Gambling Commission’s director of enforcement, commented: “This case delivers a strong and unequivocal message to all sportspeople—if you fix matches, you are likely to be caught and face severe consequences.” Pierce stressed that punters in Britain “deserve confidence that the markets they engage with are fair and free from corruption.” He added the Gambling Commission’s Sports Betting Intelligence Unit will continue collaborating closely with organisations like the DRA to identify and clamp down on any suspicious behaviour.
Jenkins finds himself in unwelcome company as match-fixing remains an area of intense focus in darts. Only recently, English-Indian player Prakash Jiwa received an eight-year ban after being found guilty of fixing four matches and betting on the results of others. An investigation, supported by the Gambling Commission, resulted in Jiwa being fined £17,741.46, and the authorities confirmed that no additional player offences were uncovered during this probe.
The sport has also seen disciplinary action against younger talent. Leighton Bennett, once hailed as a prodigy, was banned for eight years and fined £8,100, following 10 breaches of DRA rules across four matches. Suspicious betting patterns around his games in September 2023 drew the scrutiny of investigators. Anomalies included a match where Bennett missed critical darts, even throwing one effort completely off the board during a MODUS Super Series encounter.
These recent cases underline a troubling trend at both the professional and emerging levels of darts. The actions taken by the DRA demonstrate the governing body’s increasing willingness to enforce strict penalties in order to protect the integrity of the sport. For Jenkins, unless a successful appeal is lodged by May 6, 2025, this penalty effectively puts an end to his distinguished career.
While many in the darts community will be shocked by the severity of the punishment, there appears to be broad support for the DRA’s stance as it grapples with safeguarding the future of the game. The hope now is that these significant bans will serve to deter others from jeopardising not only their own careers but also the reputation of professional darts.