Prakash Jiwa, an English-Indian darts competitor, has been handed a significant eight-year suspension from the sport after being found guilty of match-fixing and placing wagers on darts competitions in the United Kingdom. The Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) imposed this lengthy ban, which will continue until November 2031, effectively removing Jiwa from professional competition for the foreseeable future.
The Gambling Commission announced the sanction on 14 March following a thorough investigation into suspicious betting patterns surrounding several matches involving Jiwa. The ban has been partially backdated, meaning Jiwa will be ineligible to participate in DRA-sanctioned events for approximately six and a half years from now.
Details of the Match-Fixing Investigation
The DRA’s disciplinary committee convened in January to examine evidence related to four specific matches that had raised integrity concerns. All four contests featured Jiwa, who suffered decisive defeats in each encounter. On 16 February 2023, Jiwa lost 4-0 to Owen Bates, followed by another 4-0 defeat to Adam Hunt just 24 hours later. Several months later, on 1 June 2023, Jiwa was defeated 4-1 by Peter Hudson and subsequently lost by the same scoreline to Willie Borland.
What caught the attention of authorities wasn’t merely the losses themselves, but rather the suspicious betting activity surrounding these matches. The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) issued an alert the day after Jiwa’s June matches, prompting immediate action from the DRA. Within 24 hours of receiving this notification, the regulatory body suspended Jiwa from competition while launching a comprehensive investigation.
Suspicious Betting Patterns Revealed
The investigation uncovered concerning betting behaviours linked to Jiwa’s matches. Two individuals with connections to the player had placed wagers totalling £2,752 across the four matches under scrutiny. This stood in stark contrast to their betting history on matches not involving Jiwa, where they had only staked a combined total of £83.
This dramatic disparity in betting behaviour raised immediate red flags for investigators. The timing, amounts, and specificity of these bets suggested a potential breach of sporting integrity, particularly given the individuals’ known association with Jiwa.
The Gambling Commission’s Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) provided crucial support throughout the investigation, working closely with the DRA to examine the evidence and establish the facts of the case.
Expert Analysis of Performance
As part of their thorough investigation, the DRA commissioned an independent assessment of Jiwa’s performance in the matches under scrutiny. This evaluation was conducted by former professional darts player Ritchie Gardner, who analysed Jiwa’s play with a critical eye.
Gardner’s findings proved damning. He highlighted consistently poor finishing from Jiwa that fell significantly below the standard expected of a player of his calibre. Gardner described these performance deficiencies as “extremely worrying” and noted that since the matches occurred on different days, the substandard play could not reasonably be attributed to Jiwa simply having “a bad day at the office.”
This expert testimony provided crucial context for the investigation, suggesting that Jiwa’s performances may have been deliberately compromised rather than representing natural fluctuations in form.
Communication Evidence and Initial Denials
Further damning evidence emerged in the form of WhatsApp messages between the two individuals suspected of colluding with Jiwa. These communications explicitly referenced “dodgy” betting patterns and included an agreement to cease betting activities after Jiwa’s suspension.
When initially interviewed by the DRA, Jiwa denied any wrongdoing. Similarly, one of the individuals implicated in the betting scheme claimed his successful wagers were simply the result of a betting system he had developed years earlier.
However, the investigation uncovered records of telephone conversations between Jiwa and one of these individuals. Additionally, investigators questioned why Jiwa had deleted messages from his phone dating from before his suspension, raising further suspicions about potential evidence tampering.
Jiwa’s Eventual Admission
As the investigation progressed and evidence mounted, Jiwa eventually admitted to betting on darts competitions, acknowledging that these activities involved one of the individuals under investigation. He also confessed to deleting between 10 and 15 messages specifically related to betting.
This admission marked a significant turning point in the case, though Jiwa continued to deny the more serious charges of match-fixing. In October 2023, the DRA formally charged Jiwa, setting the stage for a disciplinary hearing in January 2024.
During this hearing, Jiwa maintained his denial of four match-fixing charges and one charge of obstructing the DRA’s inquiry. He did, however, accept the charge related to betting on darts competitions.
The DRA’s Final Ruling
After considering all evidence, the DRA found Jiwa guilty of fixing four matches and betting on darts competitions. The regulatory body dismissed allegations that he had obstructed their inquiry and clarified that no other players were implicated in the scheme.
As a consequence of these findings, the DRA imposed an eight-year ban, which was partially backdated. This means Jiwa will be eligible to return to competition in approximately six and a half years. Additionally, he was ordered to pay costs amounting to £17,741.
John Pierce, the Gambling Commission’s director of enforcement, emphasised the importance of this ruling: “All betting customers in Britain should have confidence that bets placed with licensed gambling businesses are on markets that are fair and free from betting-related corruption. Our BIU works closely with partners to support sporting integrity investigations and combat match-fixing. This decision sends a clear message that betting-related corruption in sport will not be tolerated.”
Jiwa was given until 19 March to appeal the ruling.