Suspicious Betting
English-Indian darts player Prakash Jiwa has been handed an eight-year ban from darts after being found guilty of match-fixing and betting on darts in the UK. Following an extensive investigation, the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) and the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) have concluded that the ban is a fair punishment.
The DRA was made aware of allegations surrounding Jiwa’s playing and betting activity in 2023. He lost 4-0 to Owen Bates and Adam Hunt on back-to-back days in February 2023 before losing 4-1 to Peter Hudson and Willie Bordland in June of the same year.
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) noted suspicious betting being placed by two individuals linked to the player around these matches. The issues were then flagged to the DRA, who suspended Jawa the following day.
The betting patterns of the two individuals were flagged as suspicious, with £2,752 being placed on the four matches, while bets of £83 were placed on matches not featuring Jiwa.
Further Investigation
The initial investigations into Jiwa’s activities did not raise any further concerns; however, a former professional player, Ritchie Gardner, conducted an independent assessment of his matches, which highlighted several issues.
Gardner noted consistently poor finishes from Jiwa that were not in line with the typical standard shown by Jiwa. He noted that if this had happened on one day, it could be chalked up to a bad performance, but the fact it happened on multiple occasions raises suspicions.
The investigation took another turn when the DRA was made aware of a WhatsApp conversation between the two people. In the messages, they discussed ‘dodgy betting patterns’ and agreed to stop betting following the initial investigation.
It would also reveal that Jiwa had deleted messages and phone call logs involving the people involved. Eventually, Jiwa would admit to betting on darts.
Trial and Punishment
The hearing for Jiwa’s case was held by the DRA in January this year. The player denied all charges of match-fixing and betting but was ultimately found guilty. It was made clear that none of the other players were involved.
The DRA has now given Jiwa an eight-year ban. He will next be able to play professional darts on November 6th, 2031, with some of his ban having already been served following his initial suspension.
