Major League Soccer has issued lifetime bans to footballers Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah after they violated the league’s gambling policy.
Major League Soccer (MLS) has issued lifetime bans to footballers Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah after they violated the league’s gambling policy.
The pair were deemed to have bet on MLS matches, including fixtures involving their own teams.
The sanctions conclude an independent investigation that was launched after MLS received suspicious betting alerts from integrity monitoring partners.
Law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP carried out the investigation while both players were placed on administrative leave in October 2025.
According to MLS, the investigation found that Jones and Yeboah (pictured) engaged in “extensive gambling on soccer” during the 2024 and 2025 domestic seasons.
Investigation finds deliberate foul play
In one example, both players placed bets on Jones to receive a yellow card in a match between the Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls on 19 October 2024.
Jones was booked in the 35th minute for a foul during the game.
The investigation further concluded that the players likely shared confidential information with other bettors regarding their intention to get booked.
However, MLS said in a press release that there was no evidence to suggest the betting activity influenced the result of the matches in question.
MLS commissioner Don Garber said the league remained steadfast in its commitment to match integrity.
He added: “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.”
Jones most recently played for the Columbus Crew, while Yeboah previously played for Columbus and later LAFC before leaving the MLS for China.
Integrity offences mount post-PASPA
The case has reawakened integrity concerns around player betting across professional sports in the US since online sports betting was legalised in 2018.
The MLS previously suspended Sporting Kansas City midfielder Felipe Hernandez in 2021 for betting on MLS matches before terminating his contract in 2024.
Several other US sports leagues have taken disciplinary action against professional athletes in recent years for gambling breaches.
In 2024, the NBA issued a lifetime ban to Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter after determining he had manipulated performance props tied to betting markets.
Elsewhere, in baseball, the former interpreter of LA Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani was sentenced to nearly five years in prison in 2025 for a fraud and gambling scheme.
As part of the high-profile case, Ippei Mizuhara was ordered to pay back nearly $17m that he had stolen from Ohtani, who is widely considered baseball’s biggest star.
Image credit: Mikolaj Barbanell / Shutterstock.com