Snooker star Mark King loses appeal against five-year ban and £68k fine for match fixing
Snooker star Mark King loses appeal against five-year ban and £68k fine for match fixing
Mark King was handed a five-year ban from snooker in November 2024 after being found guilty of one count of match fixing and one count of providing inside information
Mark King's ban has been upheld
(Image: (Image: Getty.) )
Snooker ace Mark King has had his appeal dismissed after being convicted of match fixing and providing inside information, meaning his five-year ban remains in place.
The 51-year-old was suspended last November following suspicious betting activity during his match against Joe Perry at the 2023 Welsh Open. Perry, however, was not implicated in any wrongdoing.
King refuted the charges and appealed the decision. However, the former world No. 11's appeal has been unsuccessful. He did not attend the hearing in person. Two other charges related to King's match with John Higgins on 13 December 2022 were dropped during the initial independent disciplinary committee's findings.
King, who suffered a 4-0 defeat by Perry in Llandudno, maintained his innocence, arguing that numerous bets were also placed on a 4-2 or 4-1 loss. He suggested that if the result had been prearranged, bettors would have only wagered on a 4-0 outcome.
The Essex-born snooker star also claimed that the original investigation failed to consider that he was nursing a finger injury during the match. Nonetheless, the committee dismissed King's claims and expressed that it was "concerned by the number of online and in-store bettors who could be linked."
It discovered that these bettors had no previous history of betting on snooker, that accounts were created specifically to bet on the Perry match, and that some accounts were not used by the individuals who had opened them.
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Mark King during his Welsh Open match with Joe Perry
(Image: (Image: Getty) )
The WPBSA concluded its inquiries into King after receiving a tip-off that he was compensated £15,000 by an unidentified source to intentionally lose matches against Perry and Higgins. Although it expanded its probe to include the latter match, allegations linked to the match with Higgins were not substantiated.
In a statement, the WPBSA announced: "On November 7, 2024, the Independent Disciplinary Committee delivered its final decision in the case of the WPBSA and Mark King. He was found guilty of one count of match fixing and one count of providing inside information on his match played against Joe Perry on February 13, 2023. He was suspended from the sport for five years and ordered to pay £68,299.50 in costs.
"Mark King appealed the decision of the Independent Disciplinary Committee and on April 8, 2025, his appeal was heard by an Independent Appeals Committee chaired by Philip Evans KC.
"On May 13, 2025, the Independent Appeals Committee issued its decision on the appeal. Mr King's appeal has been refused and the findings against Mr King regarding his match with Joe Perry and in relation to the sanction that was imposed at the original hearing will stand. A decision regarding the costs of the appeal will be made in due course."
King was suspended last November, and will be banned until 2028
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Back in November, WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson conveyed a sense of duty that accompanies the sport's growth, saying in a statement: "The global expansion of this sport brings with it great responsibility, both for our players and for the WPBSA as the sport's world governing body. I have known Mark King since he was very young, he is a very experienced player who has enjoyed great success, and I am deeply saddened to read the finding in this case.
"However, the integrity of this sport will always be our No. 1 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."
King is now set to serve a suspension that spans from March 18, 2023, to March 17, 2028.
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