Semi-finalist in past Darts World Championship faces an 11-year ban and massive fine due to match-fixing allegations.
Title: Darts Star Andy Jenkins Slapped with 11-year Ban and Hefty Fine for Match-fixing
In a shocking turn of events, veteran darts player Andy Jenkins has been hit with an 11-year ban from darts, and a massive £17,000 fine for match-fixing. The 54-year-old was found guilty by the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) of fixing 12 Modus Super Series matches between February 2022 and July 2023. To make things worse, Jenkins also passed on vital information to bettors.
Although Jenkins denied match-fixing, he did admit to placing 88 bets on darts matches between March 2022 and May 2023, a violation of strict anti-betting rules. This admission resulted in an additional 12-month suspension, which will run concurrently with his other sanctions.
This lengthy ban is backdated to November 2023, when Jenkins was among three darts players suspended over suspicious betting patterns, along with Prakash Jiwa and Jack Main. The ban prevents the Englishman from being involved in any DRA event until November 2034.
Jenkins will also have to pay costs of £17,580 and has until May 6, 2025, to appeal the decision.
John Pierce, director of enforcement at the Gambling Commission, which worked with the DRA on the case, said: "This case sends a strong and unequivocal message to all sportspeople - if you fix matches, you are likely to be caught and face serious consequences."
"Betting customers in Britain deserve confidence that the markets they engage with are fair and free from corruption."
Jenkins is best known for his run to the semifinals of the PDC World Darts Championship in 2007. He made headlines by knocking out the household name Adrian Lewis in the last 16 and ultimately losing to Raymond van Barneveld in the final four. Despite this impressive performance, he has struggled to replicate his success, failing to progress beyond the second round of the World Championship in four more attempts, the last time being in 2013.
Prior to his impressive 2007 exploits, Jenkins reached the semi-finals of both the 2002 World Grand Prix and the 2004 UK Open. After losing his PDC Tour Card at the end of 2014, the Hampshire native was forced to enter Qualifying School in 2015. He won his card back for two more years but lost it again in 2017.
Before his 2023 suspension, Jenkins had been participating in various PDC Challenge Tour events and competing in the Modus Super Series on numerous occasions.
In recent years, darts has faced several integrity breaches. For instance, Prakash Jiwa received an eight-year ban and a hefty fine for fixing four games and betting on the outcomes of others. Leighton Bennett, the 19-year-old prospect, was given an eight-year ban and a fine of £8,100 for ten rule breaches across four matches. These cases highlight intensified crackdowns by the DRA and Gambling Commission, leveraging betting data to identify irregularities. Overall, these incidents emphasize the systemic efforts to maintain fairness in darts amid growing scrutiny of match integrity.
- Andy Jenkins, who was best known for his semifinal run at the PDC World Darts Championship in 2007, has been banned from darts for 11 years and fined £17,000, following his guilty verdict for match-fixing and passing information to bettors.
- John Pierce, director of enforcement at the Gambling Commission, stated that Jenkins' case serves as a reminder to all sportspeople that they are likely to face serious consequences if they engage in match-fixing.
- Interestingly, Jenkins was suspended concurrently for an additional 12 months for violating strict anti-betting rules, having admitted to placing 88 bets on darts matches between March 2022 and May 2023.
- Alongside Jenkins, Prakash Jiwa and Jack Main were also previously suspended over suspicious betting patterns in darts, highlighting the increased scrutiny of match integrity in the sport.
- In the general-news and crime-and-justice sections, it is reported that Jenkins will have to pay costs of £17,580, and he has until May 6, 2025, to appeal the decision, underscoring the ongoing concern for fairness and true sportsmanship in premier league darts and other sports worldwide.
