Mark King has been banned for five years after being found guilty of match-fixing. An independent disciplinary committee found the 50-year-old Englishman guilty of one count of match fixing and one count of providing inside information on a match. The former Northern Ireland Open champion was suspended by the sport’s world governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), on 18 March, 2023 after suspicious betting was reported on his match with Joe Perry on 13 February, 2023 at the Welsh Open. King, who denied the charges in the case, has until 28 November to appeal against the decisions of the independent disciplinary committee, which also ordered him to pay £68,000 costs. The panel also heard accusations that King fixed a match against John Higgins on 13 December, 2022 as well as provided inside information on it but those charges were dismissed. Perry and Higgins were not accused of any wrongdoing. King turned professional in 1991 and reached a career-high world ranking of 11 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 finding in this case,” said WPBSA chairman 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 in ensuring that the hundreds of millions of snooker fans worldwide, and our many global partners, can have full confidence in this incredible sport.”