WPBSA Statement – Alfie Burden
After a hearing before the WPBSA Disciplinary Committee that took place on 19th December 2016 Alfie Burden admitted to the following breaches of the WPBSA Betting Rules:
Prior to August 2009 the WPBSA Members Rules stated:
2.7 A Player shall not bet or lay bets on the result, score or any other aspect of any snooker or billiards match in which he is playing or cause any such bet to be placed or laid on his behalf.
Post August 2009 The WPBSA Members Rules Betting Rules state:
2. Betting misconduct
2.1 It shall be a breach of these Rules for a Member to do any of the following:
2.1.1 Betting:
2.1.1.1 to place, accept, lay or otherwise make a Bet with any other person in relation to the result, score, progress, conduct or any other aspect of the Tour and/or any Tournament or Match in events sanctioned by the WPBSA, WSL or WBL;
He was suspended from playing in WPBSA sanctioned events for a period of six months. This suspension is suspended in full until 1st January 2018 and will only be invoked upon a proven breach of the WPBSA Members Rules, Section 2, Betting Rules. He was fined £5,000.
The facts of the case are that between 30th September 2006 and 4th February 2010 Mr Burden placed in the region of 50 bets on snooker with an online betting operator. Between 30th September 2006 and 22nd November 2007 Mr Burden placed 5 bets on his own matches. In each case the bet was for him to win as was part of an accumulator with other snooker matches from the same tournament.
Between 5th July 2013 and 29th November 2016 Mr Burden placed 36 bets on snooker with another online betting operator. The bets were mainly accumulator style bets. None of these bets involved his own matches, but it did include bets on tournaments Mr Burden competed in.
Mr Burden’s betting on snooker has been largely unsuccessful. He has bet a total of £25,003.03 on snooker since 2006 and has to date has lost a total of £2,995.27.
At an early stage Mr Burden fully admitted betting on snooker in breach of the WPBSA Rules.
There is no suggestion whatsoever that Mr Burden was doing anything to influence match outcomes or engaged in any corrupt activity, he was solely betting on snooker.
Jason Ferguson the Chairman of the WPBSA said: “It is a key part of any sports integrity strategy that players cannot bet on their sport. Alfie Burden put his career at risk by so doing and it is only through his full admissions and his cooperation with the Disciplinary Committee that he has avoided a career ending suspension”.
