Darts prodigy Leighton Bennett, 18, banned for eight years | Other | Sport
Former darts wonder Leighton Bennett has been banned from the sport for eight years for match-fixing. The 18-year-old appeared in front of the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) and was found guilty of 10 counts of rigging four games.
The charges included providing inside information about the fixtures, failing to assist the investigation and signing a contract with an unregistered manager. Bennett – who was once tipped to take up Phil Taylor’s mantle – will be 27 by the time he has served the entirety of his suspension and will be eligible to play again.
Bennett’s ban will expire on ends on August 11, 2032, until which time he cannot have any involvement in DRA-organised events. He has also been ordered to pay £8,100.23 in costs.
Fellow darts player Billy Warriner received a 10-year suspension from darts for his hand in the controversy. Warriner is understood to have acted as an intermediary between the concerned parties, as well as helping to rig the four matches and organise fixed bets.
Both players were initially suspended in August after the DRA announced the pair were under investigation for match-fixing. The games in question took place during his stint on the Modus Super Series last year.
Evidence soon started to stack up against Bennett after video emerged of him missing the board entirely on one occasion while facing Ryan Harrington. That was in addition to some extremely suspect misses on preferential doubles.
The former BDO World Youth Champion not long ago had the world at his feet and might have joined Luke Littler in spearheading darts’ next generation. He and Warriner have until December 14 to appeal the DRA’s ruling.
It was back in 2019 that Bennett became the youngest player to win the BDO World Youth Championship at just 13. He secured a win over all-time great Taylor in the same year as his star truly began to rise.
It was earlier in 2024 that ‘Boom Boom’ secured his PDC Tour card and vowed to rival World Championship runner-up Littler. However, pending the result of any potential appeal, it now appears that is out of the question.
Warriner admitted to 19 of the 21 charges he faced, which related to his involvement in fixing matches, providing insider information and setting up the illegal bets. He also admitted to four counts of failing to assist the investigation, two counts of acting as an unregistered intermediary and betting on darts.
He was also found guilty of threatening an opponent and insulting an official at another darts event. Like Bennett, he has been ordered to pay £8,100.23 in damages.
