Snooker: Stuart Bingham banned for betting breaches

Former world champion Stuart Bingham has been banned for six months from the sport after having violated the regulations regarding betting on snooker matches. The 41-year-old was found guilty of breaking World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) rules after he has placed bets on matches involving himself and other players. Bingham will also have to pay 20,000 pounds in legal costs and half of the six-month ban will be suspended, which means he can return to action in 2018. The WPBSA indicated that they have not found any proof that Bingham might have aimed to influence the results of matches in order to get himself profits from betting. The estimated total of his betting activities on snooker matches in the past seven years is around 35,000 pounds, including multiple bets on his own matches. However, since Bingham has used proxy accounts for betting, the WPBSA was unable to document the full extent of his wagers. The player can appeal the decision. WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson said: "It is very disappointing to see such a high profile player fall foul of the WPBSA betting rules. Stuart is a great competitor and I have no doubt he has always played to the best of his ability. This case shows that there are no exceptions to the rules. Players must understand that they cannot bet on snooker at all, even if they are not involved in a match or event. Any player found to breach the betting rules will face the most serious of consequences." Despite the suspension, Stuart Bingham can play at next year's World Championships and he is 33/1 at Bet365 to win the trophy in 2018.