Mark King's Gambling Roots and Fall From Grace
MarkKing, recently barred from snooker, unveils his grandmother as the one who initiated him into the world of gambling.
Going against the grain, Mark King, the infamous English snooker player, spilled the beans about his lifelong fascination with gambling, traced back to an early introduction by his grandmother. This 51-year-old dude found himself banned by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) for a hefty five-year stint, following a fishy betting allegation post his match against Joe Perry during the Welsh Open in March 2023.
Though King vehemently denies match-fixing charges, ready to appeal the WPBSA's decision till November 28th, he confesses to a childhood obsession with gambling. He reminisces about those youthful days spent playing dice games like Yahtzee with his grandma, who'd let him place bets with a bag of cents. As the snooker prodigy from Essex puts it, "That's how I started betting and learning that sort of stuff."
Gambling Addiction Unraveled
WPBSA would later ban King, slam him with a £68,299 ($86,301) fine for match-fixing. A disciplinary committee found King guilty of altering game outcomes and sharing inside betting information. In an interview with The Sun, King admits his gambling addiction can be traced to those childhood gambling escapades.
By the age of ten or eleven, he was hooked on slot machines, spending his days and nights playing when a 10p coin could net you a whopping £100 jackpot. King recalls the elated, dizzying feeling of hitting a big win, exclaiming "Once I put in one pound and won £16 ($20.6), I thought, 'Oh my god, I'm rich', and I had to run with it in my pocket to the toilet."
Fueling the Addiction
King attributes his gambling addiction to a series of subpar snooker performances over his career. The man's only significant victory came at the 2016 Northern Ireland Open. He remembers entering the 1998 Welsh Open semi-finals against John Higgins and losing 6-5. Instead of focusing on rest and preparation for a major game, King was at a betting shop till 6:00pm, leaving him fatigued and worryingly caught up in the thrill of betting. As his career peaked and he ascended into the top 16, King's desire to wager only grew stronger.
Hiding the Truth
As King's addiction deepened, it took a toll on his relationship with his wife. He admits to intentionally causing conflicts to justify leaving for Betting Town, claiming "If I ever have another bet, then my marriage is done. It's gone." Strangely enough, King's last known bet took place a remarkable 13 years ago, with the man now devoutly attending Gamblers Anonymous weekly meetings.
A New Lease on Life
Despite his tumultuous past, King today claims his life is thriving, crediting his lovely family and canine companions for his newfound peace. He's adamant that he won't fall back into the dark pit of gambling addiction, vowing, "My life is brilliant now. It's wicked."
Insight: Gambling addiction commonly develops during the early stages of exposure to gambling activities. The Typical Timeline of Gambling Addiction includes Initial Exposure and Warning Signs, Escalation and Problem Recognition, Severe Consequences and Potential Intervention, and Recovery Efforts. It is important to seek help and support when facing gambling addiction, as it can lead to significant consequences if left unaddressed.
- Mark King, the infamous snooker player, was banned by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) for five years due to an allegation of match-fixing in a casino-related activity.
- King's gambling addiction can be traced back to his childhood, where he fondly remembered playing dice games with his grandma and later becoming hooked on slot machines.
- TheWPBSA banned King and fined him £68,299 ($86,301) for altering game outcomes and sharing inside betting information, classifying it as a form of casino-games manipulation.
- King's wife and relationship struggled due to his frequent visits to Betting Town, and King himself admitted that if he ever gambled again, his marriage would be over.
- Today, King is seeking help through weekly meetings at Gamblers Anonymous, and he credits his family and canine companions for his newfound peace, vowing to never fall back into the trap of gambling addiction.
