MLS has announced lifetime bans for Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah due to violations of the league’s gambling policy, following the findings of an investigation.
In a statement, MLS explained that it acted on suspicious betting alerts from its partners, hiring a law firm to investigate the matter. Both players were placed on administrative leave in October 2025 while their alleged violations were reviewed.
According to the league, the investigation revealed that both players were involved in substantial gambling on soccer, including betting on their own teams, during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Notably, they placed bets on Jones receiving a yellow card during a match on October 19, 2024, which he ultimately did.
Although it appeared that Jones and Yeboah might have exchanged prohibited information, the investigation found no evidence that their betting activities influenced any match outcomes.
“Major League Soccer is committed to maintaining match integrity,” stated MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “The league will continue to enforce its policies, improve educational initiatives, and advocate against yellow card wagering in all states to ensure the integrity of our competition for clubs, players, and fans.”
Yaw Yeboah began his MLS journey with the Columbus Crew in 2022 and played for LAFC in 2025. Derrick Jones has had stints with five different teams, including the Philadelphia Union, Nashville SC, Houston Dynamo FC, Charlotte FC, and Columbus Crew.
Both players were teammates on the Crew during the 2024 MLS season.
Currently, neither Yeboah nor Jones holds a contract with any MLS club.