Snooker star Mark King banned for FIVE years and handed a hefty fantastic for match-fixing
- Mark King was found guilty of of match-fixing and providing inside information
- He had denied charges and case was heard before an independent committee
Snooker star Mark King has been banned for five years and fined £68,000 for match-fixing.
The 50-year-old Englishman was found guilty of one count of match-fixing and one count of providing inside information on a match following an independent disciplinary committee.
King was initially suspended in March 2023, a month after suspicious betting was reported on his 4-0 defeat by Joe Perry in the first round of the Welsh Open.
The former world No 11 was also under suspicion for his 4-1 loss to John Higgins in the English Open in December 2022.
Following an investigation, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) referred King’s case for a disciplinary hearing in November 2023.
After King denied the charges, his case was heard before an independent committee in May, who found he had ‘fixed or contrived, or was a party to an effort to fix or contrive the result or score of the Perry match’.
Snooker star Mark King has been banned for five years and fined £68,000 for match-fixing
The 50-year-old had denied charges and case was heard before an independent committee
The charges relating to his match with Higgins were dismissed. A WPBSA statement confirmed that Perry, a former Masters finalist, and Higgins, the four-time world champion, were ‘not accused of any misfeasance’.
King, whose only ranking title win came at the Northern Ireland Open in 2016, has until November 28 to appeal.
WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said: ‘I have known Mark King since he was very young, he is a very experienced player who has enjoyed great success, and I am deeply saddened to read the finding in this case.
‘However, the integrity of this sport will always be our No 1 priority. This case is testament to the fact that no stone will ever be left unturned in ensuring that the hundreds of millions of snooker fans worldwide, and our many global partners, can have full confidence in this incredible sport.’
King’s suspension has inflicted yet more damage to the image of the sport, coming soon after 10 Chinese players received bans in June 2023 for their part in a major match-fixing scandal.
Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were banned for life, while 2021 Masters champion Yan Bingtao was suspended until December 2027.
Former world No 9 Zhao Xintong was banned until September 2024 but is now back playing and could feature at the UK Championship later this month, the major tournament he famously won in 2021.
