Snooker is in the midst of its largest-ever corruption probe as it gets ready to hold one of its marquee events.

Ten Chinese athletes have been suspended as part of the match-fixing investigation; two of them were scheduled to compete in the Masters, which gets underway on Sunday.

The upcoming weeks should see a decision regarding the filing of charges.

How then did we arrive here? What takes place after that? Furthermore, how does it affect the sport?

What is the purpose of the investigation?
“Allegations of manipulating the outcome of matches for betting purposes” are the subject of an inquiry.

It was started last year by the integrity unit at the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA).

The sport monitors betting worldwide on snooker and gets alerts from the betting industry on suspicious activity.

In October 2022, Liang Wenbo was the first player suspended as part of the WPBSA investigation – over unspecified misconduct claims – and nine others have since been suspended.

Most of the players – several of whom were based in Sheffield – have not commented publicly on the allegations, although Wenbo has reportedly denied match-fixing.

What takes place after that?
Although the situation is fluid, the investigation is said to be at “an advanced stage” and more suspensions are not anticipated.

Whether to file charges against any or all of the players must be decided.

Should charges be brought, an impartial panel led by a seasoned attorney will hear the cases.

Players will be able to file an appeal against the panel’s decisions and any penalties that are imposed.

Two suspended top-16 players will miss the Masters in the meantime. David Gilbert has taken the place of former champion Yan Bingtao, and Hossein Vafaei has taken Zhao Xintong’s spot, having won the 2021 UK Championship.

Murphy: Lifelong bans on cheating are necessary.

In a broad statement regarding match-fixing, former world champion Shaun Murphy advocated for a permanent ban on cheaters.

“If players are found guilty of fixing the outcomes of matches, those players have no place in the game of snooker,” he stated to BBC Sport.

“I would make sure that cheaters were never seen again. When there is no possibility of ever having to play again, those who are behind match-fixing will always see a chance to take advantage of the game.

“Without the threat of a lifetime ban, I don’t see this problem going away.”

Although life bans are the harshest punishment allowed by snooker regulations, it can be difficult to enforce them.

According to WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson, there may be a legal challenge to these penalties.

They are believed to also restrict