Once heralded as the future of darts, young prodigy Leighton Bennett has seen his promising career come to a shocking end. At just 18 years old, he has been hit with a devastating eight-year ban from all Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) regulated events after being found guilty of match-fixing. This stunning turn of events represents a heartbreaking fall from grace for a player who, just a few years ago, was capturing the imagination of the darting world.
From Prodigy to Pariah
Leighton “Boom Boom” Bennett’s rise was nothing short of meteoric. In 2019, at the tender age of 13, he became the youngest-ever winner of the BDO World Youth Championship. The same year, in a moment that cemented his celebrity, he faced off against 16-time world champion Phil “The Power” Taylor in a special exhibition match. Bennett later spoke about the experience, saying he “didn’t even give Phil any eye contact just so I forgot that I was playing him!” Taylor was so impressed with the teenager’s poise and talent that he publicly tipped him as a potential future world champion. However, Taylor’s praise came with a prescient warning, telling Bennett that his success “all depends on him.”
In 2024, Bennett took the next step in his career by earning a coveted two-year PDC tour card, a significant achievement that would allow him to compete full-time on the professional circuit. The darting world buzzed with excitement about a potential rivalry between Bennett and another young phenom, Luke Littler, who was also making waves at the time. Bennett himself fueled this idea, saying he would “love it if Luke and I became a new Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld sort of rivalry.” He even boasted about having a better head-to-head record against Littler, “only because I was a bit older probably.”
The Betrayal of Integrity
Despite the bright future that seemed to lie ahead, Bennett was already under investigation. The DRA launched an inquiry after receiving reports of suspicious betting patterns in four of Bennett’s matches at the MODUS Super Series in September 2023—before he had even secured his tour card.
The investigation found Bennett guilty of a total of 10 charges, including fixing all four matches in question, providing inside information, failing to cooperate with the investigation, and signing with an unregistered agent. His eight-year suspension is the joint-second-longest ban in the history of the sport, second only to his co-conspirator, Billy Warriner, who received a 10-year ban after admitting to 19 of 21 charges. The severity of the punishment sends a clear message about the sport’s zero-tolerance policy on match-fixing.
The decision has been met with broad agreement from top players. Michael van Gerwen, a legend in the sport, publicly supported the ban, stating, “I completely agree. I’m not shocked by it, I think it’s totally justified.” Other players, while saddened by the wasted talent, also emphasized the importance of integrity. James Wade noted, “Leighton has been found guilty and he should be punished,” while adding that with the ban, his professional career is “effectively over.”
The tragic story of Leighton Bennett is a cautionary tale about the immense pressure and temptations that can come with early success. Phil Taylor’s advice to the young star—that his future depended on him—now serves as a haunting reminder of the personal choices that can derail even the most promising careers. With his eight-year ban, Bennett will be 27 when he is eligible to play again, a span of time that for all intents and purposes, ends his dreams of being a professional darts player.
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