Major League Soccer has announced lifetime bans for midfielder Derrick Jones and winger Yaw Yeboah stemming from violations of the league’s gambling policy, Yahoo Sports’ Steven Goff reported Monday.
Both players were placed on administrative leave by MLS in October 2025 while possible violations of league rules were reviewed. Jones most recently played for the Columbus Crew, while Yeboah played for LAFC last year. The two were teammates in Columbus during the 2024 season.
In a statement, MLS said it had been notified of betting alerts through partners monitoring for suspicious activity. The league then retained law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP to conduct an investigation, which subsequently found that Jones and Yeboah “engaged in extensive gambling on soccer, including on their own teams during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.”
“Major League Soccer remains steadfast in its commitment to match integrity,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said in the statement.
“The League will continue to enforce its policies, enhance education efforts, and advocate for the elimination of yellow card wagering in all states to protect the integrity of our competition for clubs, players, and fans.”
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Prior to an Oct. 19 match, both players bet on Jones to receive a yellow card. Jones drew a yellow card during the match.
The league also stated that the investigation found that Jones and Yeboah likely shared confidential information regarding their intent to draw yellow cards with other bettors. However, no evidence of such activities influencing the outcome of a match was discovered.
