Mark King was banned for five years after being found guilty of match-fixing.

An independent disciplinary commission found the 50-year-old Englishman guilty of one count of match-fixing and one count of providing inside information about a match.

The former Northern Ireland Open champion was suspended by the sport’s global governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), on March 18, 2023, after suspicious betting was reported on his match with Joe Perry on February 13, 2023 at the Welsh championship. Open.

King, who has denied the charges in the case, has until November 28 to appeal the decisions of the independent disciplinary panel, which also ordered him to pay £68,000 in costs.

The panel also heard accusations that King fixed a match against John Higgins on December 13, 2022 and provided inside information about it, but those accusations were dismissed.

Perry and Higgins have not been accused of any wrongdoing.

King turned professional in 1991 and reached a career ranking of No. 11 in the world in 2003.

“I have known Mark since he was young, he is a very experienced player who has enjoyed great success, and I am deeply saddened to read the findings of this case,” said WPBSA President Jason Ferguson.

“However, the integrity of this sport will always be our number one priority.

“This case is testament to the fact that no stone will ever be left unturned to ensure that the hundreds of millions of snooker fans around the world, as well as our many global partners, can have full confidence in this incredible sport.”