Former world snooker champion Stuart Bingham has said he will accept whatever punishment comes his way after admitting he broke the sport's betting rules.

Bingham, 40, was charged on Wednesday with a breach of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) regulations.

WPBSA rules bar players from betting on any aspect of sanctioned tournaments, or from encouraging others to do so if it is deemed to be to the player's direct or indirect benefit.

Stuart Bingham has been charged by the WPBSA with a breach of betting rules

Although the organisation stressed the alleged offence does not entail match manipulation or corruption, it was determined that Bingham had a case to answer.

Bingham said on his own website: 'This was just a case of me not being clear on the rules.

'I did not know I was not allowed to bet on other players' matches, I thought it was just my own I could not bet on, and I have never done that.

'I have nothing to hide on the matter and have co-operated fully with the investigation and I now await the outcome.'

Bingham could be fined or face a ban, or both. One possible yardstick for the punishment coming his way is the fine of £5,000 and six-month suspended ban handed to fellow professional Alfie Burden in January for similar offences.

Speaking in The Times, Bingham added: 'There have been enquiries going on over the last few weeks. I have used another account to place bets on snooker matches.

'It is similar to what Alfie Burden did, but I have never bet against myself, and never been involved in any match-fixing or corruption. I did some accumulators, and used someone else's account. It was boredom, really.

'It looks as if I have got it wrong, it was stupid, and I wasn't aware enough of the rules.

Bingham won snooker's world championship after beating Shaun Murphy in 2015

'I have fully co-operated with the enquiries and will continue to do so.

'But basically I did it, I can't change that, and will have to take whatever is coming. We have to be seen to be whiter than white.'

Bingham was a surprise winner of the World Championship in 2015 and is currently ranked third in the world.

He won the Welsh Open last month, beating Judd Trump in the final.