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The sport of snooker is in the midst of its biggest corruption investigation as ten players now find themselves suspended.
All of the players - several of whom were based in Sheffield, England - are Chinese. Two were supposed to play in the Masters, which begin on Sunday.
The matter involves "allegations of manipulating the outcome of matches for betting purposes".
Charges could be brought in the coming weeks.
The betting industry routinely alerts regulators as to suspicious betting patterns and activity.
In October 2022, Liang Wenbo was the first player suspended as part of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) WPBSA investigation, according to the BBC. The misconduct claims were unspecified at the time.
Former world champion Shaun Murphy, speakng to the BBC, says that cheaters should be banned for life.
"If players are found guilty of fixing the outcomes of matches, those players have no place in the game of snooker," he told BBC Sport.
"If it were up to me, you would never see cheats again. Without that threat of never playing again, people behind match-fixers will always see an opportunity to exploit the game.
"Without the threat of a lifetime ban, I don't see this problem going away."
The sport of snooker, similar to billiards, has grown in popularity over the years. Its popularity centered on Sheffield, courtesy of that city's world-renowned Crucible Theatre. Snooker has gained significant popularity in China as well. Much of that has been attributed to Ding Junhui, considered the most successful Asian player in the history of the sport. Throughout his career, he has won 14 major ranking titles
131 players from 18 countries competed on the professional World Snooker Tour circuit for the 2022/23 campaign.
- Jagajeet Chiba, Gambling911.com
