Professional snooker player Mark King will serve a five-year ban from the sport after an independent group found him guilty of match-fixing. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Snooker player Mark King is prohibited from playing in a professional event for five years and must pay £68,299 ($86,301) in fines for fixing a match. An independent disciplinary committee determined the Englishman was guilty of altering the outcome of a game and providing inside information for betting purposes.

maintained his innocence throughout the case and can appeal the ruling

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) suspended King in March 2023 after the governing body received a suspicious betting alert for the 50-year-old’s match in the Welsh Open against Joe Perry that February. King maintained his innocence throughout the case and can appeal the ruling until November 28.

Another match involving King was also under the spotlight, although investigators didn’t pursue any action for the December 2022 showdown against John Higgins.

While acknowledging he has personally known Mark King for many years, WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said “the integrity of this sport will always be our number one priority” and warned of the zero-tolerance approach to match-fixing.

Mark King’s career began in 1991 and he reached a world ranking as high as 11 in 2003. He has captured one noteworthy title, the 2016 Northern Ireland Open.