A professional snooker player in the UK has been banned from the sport for five years after an investigation involving the UK Gambling Commission and Sportradar found him guilty of match-fixing.
Mark King was also found guilty of providing inside information for use in sports betting and has been ordered to pay £68,299.50 in costs.
The case relates to suspicious betting patterns observed in two separate matches King played against John Higgins in December 2022 and Joe Perry in February 2023.
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association suspended King a month after the match with Perry. King denied the charges after the WPBSA ordered a disciplinary hearing to be managed by an independent disciplinary committee.
However, the committee found him guilty and he is now banned from snooker until March 2028.
The WPBSA was supported by Sportradar and the Gambling Commission’s Sports Betting Intelligence Unit, which provided information including betting data.
“John Pierce, the Gambling Commission’s enforcement director, said: “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.
“This is why our Sports Betting Intelligence Unit will always work closely with partners such as the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association to support their sporting integrity investigations and allegations of match fixing.
“Today’s announcement should send a clear message that betting-related corruption in sport will not be tolerated.”
The WPBSA’s chairman, Jason Ferguson, said: “The global expansion of this sport brings with it great responsibility, both for our players, and for the WPBSA as the sport’s world governing body.
“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 number one 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.”
