DRA STATEMENT ON NIJMAN
October 27, 2020
On 14th May 2020 the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) reported suspicious betting on a Darts match to be played later that day between Wessel Nijman and David Evans in the Modus Icons of Darts at home series. This was an amateur series regulated by the DRA, unconnected with the PDC. The match was played and Nijman lost 4-0. The DRA launched an investigation working closely with Sportradar, the SBIU at the UK Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority and betting operators.
On 14th October 2020 Nijman’s case was heard by the DRA Disciplinary Committee where he admitted fixing his match with David Evans. Today the Committee has released its finding.
The Committee decided that an appropriate sanction in this case was to suspend Wessel Nijman from the sport for a period of five years from 18 August 2020 (the date of his original suspension) until midnight on 17 August 2025. Two and a half years of the ban will itself be suspended on the condition that Nijman engages in such player education and anti-corruption measures as agreed with the DRA.
Provided Nijman complies with the conditions above, he will be free to play again from 18th February 2023 onwards.
He was ordered to pay £2,455.74 towards the DRA’s costs.
The sanction reflects Nijman’s early and full admission of guilt and his willingness to support the DRA in its anti-corruption work.
The full finding can be found here.
DRA Betting Rules extract:
2. Betting misconduct
2.1. It shall be a breach of these Rules for a Participant to do any of the following:
2.1.2. Corruption:
(i) to fix or contrive, or to be a party to any effort to fix or contrive, the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Darts Event;
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Misuse of inside information:
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to use for betting purposes, or to provide to any other person for such purposes, any information relating to the Darts Event that the Participant possesses by virtue of their position within the sport that is not in the public domain or readily accessible by the public.
The full DRA Rules can be viewed at here