Former Tour Card holder Danny Baggish provisionally suspended after match-fixing allegation in MODUS Super Series

For not the first time, an investigation into match-fixing has been launched in the MODUS Super Series. Danny Baggish has been suspended by the Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) until further notice after allegations of match-fixing were received.

At the end of April, Baggish took part in the first week of the fourteenth season of the MODUS Super Series. Thanks to topping Group A, ‘The Gambler’ secured qualification for the finals night on Wednesday, April 29, even though it would not be played until Saturday.

However, Baggish was absent from the finals night on Saturday. No reason was given at the time other than personal circumstances. The World Darts Federation (WDF) website states that Baggish has been provisionally suspended since May 3 due to an allegation of match-fixing in the MODUS Super Series.

Baggish’s participation in the MODUS Super Series was, in fact, a European comeback for the American, after spending recent years back in his home country following his PDC Tour Card spells in 2021 and 2022, he made a return after personal issues back home to play in the International Pairs and also the latest week.

In recent years, multiple cases of match-fixing have surfaced in the MODUS Super Series, an online darts competition first set up during the coronavirus pandemic.

The most notable example is Wessel Nijman, who was suspended for 2.5 years in 2020 and returned to the PDC circuit in 2023 after serving his ban. Nijman’s career has since surged, and he now sits inside the world’s top 16.

Leighton Bennett, Andy Jenkins, Prakash Jiwa, Kyle McKinstry, and Billy Warriner also fell foul after competing in the MODUS Super Series. Jiwa was caught in 2023 and subsequently lost his World Championship spot. Jiwa received an eight-year suspension, which expires in 2031.

Former youth world champion Bennett was found guilty of manipulating matches in 2024. He too was suspended for eight years. Jenkins is also a familiar name in darts. The Englishman was a World Darts Championship semi-finalist in 2007. Jenkins was charged in 2023 and has even been banned for ten years from darts tournaments.

Another well-known case is Gilbert Ulang outside of MODUS, who was suspended for match-fixing at the PDC World Darts Championship itself. In the preliminary round of the 2017 World Championship, the Filipino darter lost 2-0 in sets to Kevin Simm. After investigation, Ulang was found guilty and banned for seven years.