Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Snooker
Ryan Smart
Banned former snooker star Mark King has already spoken out about the process surrounding his five-year suspension from the sport for match-fixing offences.
King was sanctioned by the WPBSA in November 2024 after a 18-month long investigation into 'irregular betting patterns'.
He was found guilty of one count of match-fixing and one count of providing inside information on a match. King was also ordered to pay £68,000 in costs.
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The 51-year-old appealed the verdict, but that appeal was dismissed by an independent committee last month.
His five-year ban is backdated to the date of his original suspension, meaning he will be eligible to return to professional snooker in March 2028 if he chooses to do so.
The match under investigation was a 4-0 defeat to Joe Perry at the 2023 Welsh Open. Perry has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
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The committee dismissed King's arguments, including that he was suffering from an injury ahead of the match and that bettors placed large sums on 4-1 and 4-2 scorelines - thus weakening the argument that he purposefully lost 4-0.
Prior to that appeal verdict being announced, the 2016 Northern Ireland Open winner briefly spoke about his situation in an interview with Cue Sports Hub.
In the interview, King revealed that he had been battling a gambling addiction since he was '10 or 11 years old', adding that he had not placed a bet in almost 13 years.
He continued, referencing the WPBSA proceedings against him: "I haven't had a bet for nearly 13 years, and I don't skip there and, 'Oh yeah, I can't wait to go to my GA [Gamblers Anonymous] meetings'.
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"But I know that, if I don't go, I know I'm in trouble. If I ever have another bet, then my marriage is done. It's gone. I'm gone.
"My life is brilliant now. Apart from obviously the c**p that's going on, which I can deal with. My life's brilliant. It's wicked. I've got a lovely family. A couple of dogs. My life's brilliant, you know what I mean?"