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Topics: Snooker, World Snooker Championship
Ryan Smart
Stephen Lee remains unable to return to the World Snooker Tour despite the ending of his 12-year ban for match fixing.
Lee was found to have influenced the outcome of seven matches that took place between 2008 and 2009.
He was initially suspended on October 12, 2012 - his 39th birthday - with his ban being backdated to the date of that initial suspension.
Now 50, Lee has rarely commented on whether he would attempt a comeback to the main tour, where he would need to qualify through Q-School to earn a two-year card.
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He competed in a six-red exhibition against James Wattana in Thailand earlier this month, in the first public footage of the Wiltshire-born cueist playing in a match since his suspension.
Lee set up a snooker academy in China in 2015, and is now eligible to play in any events not sanctioned by the World Pool, Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA).
The WPBSA organise all snooker tournaments played on the World Snooker Tour, including the World Seniors events that Lee is now age-eligible for.
The Daily Mirror reported in October 2024 that Lee had not yet paid legal costs relating to the match-fixing case and unsuccessful appeals - a pre-requisite for being able to return to the World Snooker Tour.
A WPBSA spokesperson was quoted as saying: "Stephen Lee would need to reach a satisfactory agreement with the WPBSA over settlement of his costs before he could play."
The WPBSA have confirmed to SPORTbible that the above statement still stands, making Lee ineligible to play in World Snooker Tour events.
Lee was fined £40,000 alongside the initial ban verdict, with that figure increasing to £125,000 following an unsuccessful appeal.
Even if he satisfies the WPBSA's demands imminently, Lee would not be able to play on the main tour until June 2026 at the earliest.
In order to make a return, the 50-year-old would have to progress through UK Q-School, which takes place in May 2026 during the break between the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
He would then receive a two-year tour card to cover him until the 2028 World Snooker Championship.
Lee achieved mixed success at the Crucible during his career.
He had reached two quarter-finals and a semi-final up to 2003, but didn't progress beyond the first round in any of his final six appearances in the tournament.
His 10-4 defeat to Ryan Day in the 2009 edition was one of the seven matches that Lee was found to have influenced as part of his match-fixing case.