The chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, Jason Ferguson, has insisted that cheats within the sport will be found and punished.
The governing body issued a 12-year ban on former world number five Stephen Lee after he was found guilty of fixing seven matches between 2008 and 2009.
"We take no pride in having to deal with such serious issues," Ferguson said in a statement. "However this demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that snooker is free from corruption.
"It is an important part of our anti-corruption approach that players found to be involved in fixing matches or any aspect of a match are severely dealt with.
"We work closely with partners globally and the message we are sending is that if you get involved in match fixing you will be found out and removed from the sport."
Lee has confirmed that he will appeal against the decision.
