snooker_loopy wrote:"I categorically deny that this was the case. I have never bet on a match in which I was playing." wrote:
If he has proof he never bet on himself he would have legal grounds to challenge the ban, appeal the ruling?
He seems to be playing the victim card a bit:
"The world number 10 has also questioned whether enough is being done to protect players from the influence of betting companies, saying he has been "exposed to all forms of gambling since I was a teenager". He added: "Most tournaments are sponsored by betting companies. If I was not having wagers with opponents on matches then there were gaming machines in all the clubs.""
Just heard on the news - new gambling rules to stop the amount of money used in gambling machines.
"The maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals will be reduced from £100 to between £50 and £2, the Government announced on Tuesday - a move designed to protect vulnerable gamblers,"
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/busin ... 28646.htmlI'm guessing this is the sort of thing the likes of Bingham and Mark King were addicted to when they weren't practising snooker! It's possible Bingham has an addictive personality but that's no excuse for breaking snooker rules.
In light of this incident perhaps Rob Walker will rename Stuart 'Ballroom' Bingham as
Stuart 'Betman' Bingham!
He says he didn't bet on his own matches. I presume he has provided statements from his betting accounts to corroborate this. Beyond this I'm not sure what else he could possibly do to prove otherwise.
This is what I hate about these sorts of hearings, they are a law unto themselves. Unlike a proper court the burden of proof is always on the defendant, and in this instance it seems they have decided, despite the lack of evidence, that Bingham has bet on his own matches and this should now be accepted as gospel. Ridiculous.
And Bingham explains quite well why he won't be appealing. Even during the appeal process his ban would still be in place and he'd risk missing out on the remainder of the season including the World Championship. Don't blame him one bit for wanting to move on from this.
All that said, Bingham did break betting rules and quite rightly should be punished. It was idiotic which he now realizes.
I'm one of those who got on his back initially when this story broke and details were released, however after reading Bingham's statement I thought he came across well and I am now much more sympathetic towards his plight.