Teen darts player Leighton Bennett is under suspension over allegations of suspicious betting activity involving some of his games. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

A professional darts player is under suspension after suspicious betting activity surrounding four of his matches came to light. The Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) announced that Leighton Bennett cannot play in any tournaments it sanctions until a hearing takes place following a joint investigation with the UK Gambling Commission’s Sports Betting Intelligence Unit.

raised the alarm about games in which the then-16-year-old played in the MODUS Super Series

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) first raised the alarm about games in which the then-16-year-old played in the MODUS Super Series in September 2023. He competed against three opponents during the two-day period in question – Mindaugas Barauskas, Ryan Harrington, and Benjamin Drue-Reeves. Footage is doing the rounds on social media of some of these games:

Bennett has impressed since first breaking onto the scene in 2019 when he beat legendary darts player Phil Taylor as a 13-year-old. The Lincoln native secured his PDC Tour card this year and had fellow teen sensation Luke Littler in his sights, saying he would rival the Premier League Darts champion going forward.

He’s not the only player caught up in this investigation, as Billy Warriner is also under suspension for similar reasons. They both have the option to appeal in their respective cases.