Snooker Player Mark King Receives Five-Year Ban for Match-Fixing

Snooker player Mark King has been handed a five-year ban from the sport after being found guilty of match-fixing. King’s sole ranking title was the Northern Ireland Open in 2016. An independent disciplinary committee determined that the 50-year-old Englishman was guilty of one count of match-fixing and one count of providing inside information on a match. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), the sport’s world governing body, had suspended the former Northern Ireland Open champion on 18 March, 2023. This action followed reports of suspicious betting on his match with Joe Perry, which occurred on 13 February, 2023, at the Welsh Open. King, who denied the charges in the case, has until 28 November to appeal against the decisions of the independent disciplinary committee. The committee also ordered him to pay £68,000 in costs. The panel also heard allegations that King fixed a match against John Higgins on 13 December, 2022, and provided inside information on it, but those specific charges were dismissed. Neither Perry nor Higgins were accused of any wrongdoing. King turned professional in 1991 and achieved a career-high world ranking of 11 in 2003. WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson stated, “I have known Mark since he was young, he is a very experienced player who has enjoyed great success, and I am deeply saddened to read the finding in this case.” Ferguson added, “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.”