Banned English snooker player Mark King has revealed his grandmother fed his early fascination with gambling. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Early introduction

Banned English snooker player Mark King, 51, has revealed an early introduction to a dice game by his grandmother fed his fascination with gambling.

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) banned King in March 2023 for five years following a suspicious betting alert after his Welsh Open match-up against Joe Perry in February of that year. 

While King has pleaded not guilty to match-fixing charges and can appeal the WPBSA ruling until November 28, he revealed to The Sun his addiction to gambling started young. 

he would play the dice game Yahtzee with his grandmother

“From a young age” King stated, he would play the dice game Yahtzee with his grandmother. The Englishman, whose career began in 1991, said his grandma used to give him a bag of cents to bet with.

“That’s how I started betting and learning that sort of stuff.”

Overriding desire to bet

The WPBSA both banned King and hit him with a £68,299 ($86,301) fine for match fixing after a disciplinary committee found him guilty of “altering the outcome of a game and providing inside information for betting purposes.”

In his Sun interview, King stated in addition to Yahtzee he was playing slot machines “all day, every day” when they took 10p (24¢) coins and the jackpot was £100 ($129). The Essex-born household name said he was only “ten or 11 years old” at the time.  

Oh my god, I’m rich’ ”

“Once I put in one pound and won £16 ($20.6). I got four bells. I thought, ‘Oh my god, I’m rich’, and I had to run with it in my pocket to the toilet.”

King attributes his gambling addiction to poor performances over his snooker career, which only resulted in one notable win at the 2016 Northern Ireland Open. 

The Essex potter recalled playing John Higgins in the semi-finals of the 1998 Welsh Open and losing 6-5. King said he was at a betting shop until 6:00pm instead of “resting, sleeping, and getting ready for a massive game. I was only 24.”

King said, at that time, his snooker career was picking up and he was around the top 16 but that he “just wanted to bet.”

Lying to his wife

The banned snooker star also admitted he’d force an argument with his wife for the excuse to go out and bet. “It hurts me to say it,” he admitted. 

According to reports, King’s last bet was 13 years ago, and he religiously attends Gamblers Anonymous weekly. 

If I ever have another bet, then my marriage is done”

“If I ever have another bet, then my marriage is done. It’s gone. My life is brilliant now. It’s wicked. I have a lovely family and a couple of lovely dogs.”