Graeme Dott Permanently Banned From Snooker After Historic Sexual Abuse Conviction
WPBSA Acts Swiftly Following High Court Guilty Verdict
Graeme Dott has been permanently expelled from professional snooker after being convicted on 24 August 2026 at the High Court in Glasgow on two charges of lewd and libidinous behaviour relating to historic sexual abuse. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association convened an emergency board meeting on the same day as the verdict was delivered and voted unanimously to revoke Dott's WPBSA membership with immediate effect — removing him from the sport entirely.
The decision is as unambiguous as it is swift. Every director present at the emergency board meeting voted in favour of expulsion, satisfying the two-thirds threshold required under Article 24.2 of the WPBSA's Articles of Association. In a further step, the governing body has written formally to World Snooker Tour requesting that Dott be removed from the WST Hall of Fame — the recognition that had stood as one of the most prestigious acknowledgements of his career achievements at the table.
A Timeline of Suspension, Relegation and Now Permanent Removal
This outcome has been building since April last year. On 9 April 2025, the WPBSA suspended Dott from all professional snooker activities the moment it became aware that legal proceedings were ongoing — a precautionary but necessary step that effectively ended his competitive involvement immediately. With his suspension carrying through the remainder of the 2025/26 season without him being able to earn ranking points, he was subsequently relegated from the professional ranking list at the season's conclusion. The conviction on 24 August 2026 has now brought matters to their permanent conclusion, at least at governing body level.
Dott, now 46, was one of the most celebrated players of his generation. The Larkhall-born Scot captured the 2006 World Snooker Championship at the Crucible — defeating Peter Ebdon in a gruelling final that ran to 18-14 — and reached a second World final in 2010, where he lost to Neil Robertson. He spent considerable time in the world's top 16, reached a career-high ranking of world number four, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in recognition of a career that spanned more than two decades on the professional tour. None of that context diminishes the gravity of today's events, nor does it complicate the WPBSA's decision in any meaningful way. The conviction speaks for itself.
What Happens Next: The Right of Appeal
Under Article 24.3 of the WPBSA's Articles of Association, Dott retains the right to submit a notice of appeal within 21 days of the resolution being passed. Should he choose to do so, the company secretary would be required to convene a general meeting at which his appeal would be heard. Crucially, expulsion would only be upheld at that stage if approved by a Special Resolution of the Voting Members — a high bar, though one that reflects the seriousness with which any permanent expulsion must be treated procedurally. Dott would be entitled to attend and speak at such a meeting but would hold no voting rights. His membership rights remain suspended unless and until any appeal proves successful.
It is worth being clear-eyed about what that process would look like in practice. Given the nature of the conviction — a criminal verdict delivered at the High Court, Scotland's most senior criminal court — the prospect of the wider WPBSA membership overturning the board's unanimous decision appears remote. The governing body has acted within its constitution, transparently and with the full weight of a criminal verdict behind it.
The Sport Responds
The WPBSA's statement is deliberately measured in tone, as you would expect from a governing body navigating both legal and reputational terrain. What it communicates clearly, however, is that the organisation regards this matter as closed from its end: Dott should be removed from the sport, in the board's own words, and the Hall of Fame request to WST underlines that the intention is comprehensive removal rather than simply administrative expulsion.
For a sport that has faced its share of integrity challenges in recent years — from match-fixing investigations to disciplinary hearings — this is a different and far more serious category of case. Snooker's governing structures have, on this occasion, moved with both speed and unanimity. The game now looks forward, and the focus rightly returns to the players, the tournaments, and the fans who make it what it is.
SnookerWins supports Samaritans (116 123) and the NSPCC helpline (0808 800 5000) for anyone affected by issues raised in this article.
