A video of Leighton Bennett missing the dart board entirely has been shared online after the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) announced an investigation into him.
The 18-year-old is currently suspended by the DRA, along with Billy Warriner, under suspicion of match fixing. Bennett is barred from participating in any DRA-sanctioned events, after the International Betting Integrity Association detected suspicious betting patterns in his matches between September 6 and September 9, 2023.
One of the matches under scrutiny is his match against Ryan Harrington in a 2023 Modus Super Series event. Following the announcement, a video clip of a leg between the two showed Bennett wildly missing some doubles and, on one occasion, the board completely.
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While trailing Harrington 2-1 on legs, Bennett had the chance to finish off a challenging 164. He started flawlessly, hitting the triple 20 and then the triple 18, leaving himself with a bullseye to finish.
However, Bennett missed the bullseye by approximately 15cm, instead landing a three to leave 47. Bennett followed that leg up by barely managing to hit a 15 to leave 32, a finish most darts players prefer due to the ideal positioning of the double 16, reports the Express.
Not only did he fail to hit the double, but he also failed to hit the board. In his final dart, he missed the double by a significant margin again and just managed to keep it on the outer rim of the board.
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(Image: (Image: X/Modus Super Series))
After Harrington failed to capitalise, Bennett had an extra three darts to clinch the leg. But his finishing attempts turned into a wild goose chase, with shots at double 16, double eight and double four all landing nowhere near their target.
The clip is set to be a tough watch for a player once hailed as the next Phil Taylor. Announcing the investigation in a statement released online, the DRA said: “The Darts Regulation Authority with support from the Gambling Commission Sports Betting Intelligence Unit conducted a thorough investigation into the allegation.
“The DRA Chairman Nigel Mawer has now decided that Leighton Bennett and Billy Warriner both have a case to answer for a number of serious breaches of the DRA Rules.
(Image: TAYLOR LANNING)
“As a result of this decision, Leighton Bennett and Billy Warriner have been suspended from attending or competing in DRA governed events until the conclusion of the hearing or hearings and the determination of this matter. Both players have the right to appeal the suspension decision.
“Their case will be referred to the DRA Disciplinary Committee where a formal hearing will take place on a date to be confirmed. There is no suggestion that the other players in the matches in question were involved in any way.”