MLS bans two players for life over gambling offences

Tom Weber

• Updated: 9 Mar 2026 15:59 CDT
• 3 min read

News

Yaw Yeboah and Derrick Jones have been hit with a lifetime suspension by Major League Soccer for gambling offences, the league has announced.

The two players, who each spent several years in MLS prior to the 2026 season, have been found guilty of "extensive gambling on soccer." The offences include betting on themselves and their own teams.

The players were initially placed on administrative leave in late October for "potential violations of MLS league rules." Yeboah subsequently left LAFC for Chinese Super League side Qingdao Hainiu in the offseason, while Derrick Jones has remained a free agent since his release by the Columbus Crew.

The pair played together at the Crew in 2024, but the betting continued in 2025 after Yeboah left for Los Angeles. It is believed that they bet on yellow cards and that they shared confidential information with other bettors.

MLS, which has a long-standing relationship with gambling company DraftKings and which signed a deal with Polymarket this year, emphasises that "no evidence was identified that suggested any of these betting activities affected the outcome of a match."

MLS statement in full

"Major League Soccer has issued lifetime suspensions to Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah, neither of whom is currently under contract with an MLS club, for violating the MLS Gambling Policy," the league announced.

"After receiving suspicious betting alerts through integrity partners, MLS retained the law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP to conduct an investigation, and the players were placed on administrative leave pending the completion of the review.

"After reviewing the results of the investigation, MLS concluded that the players engaged in extensive gambling on soccer, including on their own teams, during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. In one instance, both players bet on Jones to draw a yellow card during an October 19, 2024 match, which he received.

"MLS also determined that the players likely shared confidential information with other bettors about their intent to draw yellow cards. No evidence was identified that suggested any of these betting activities affected the outcome of a match.

"'Major League Soccer remains steadfast in its commitment to match integrity,' said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. '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.'"

Who are Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah?

Before their lifetime suspensions, Jones and Yeboah played in MLS for several years. Jones emerged as a promising prospect out of the Philadelphia Union academy in the mid-2010s, but it took him a while to establish himself as a proper MLS-level player.

A former US youth international, the Ghana-born midfielder played for Nashville SC in the USL Championship ahead of the team's move to MLS. After a brief stint with the Houston Dynamo, the 29-year-old spent two encouraging seasons at Charlotte FC before his transfer to the Crew in 2024.

Yeboah, a four-time Ghana international, bounced around Europe before his move to the Crew in 2022. After a stint in the Man City youth setup, the 28-year-old played in France, the Netherlands, Spain and Poland.

Somewhat ironically, Yeboah's current team, Qingdao Hainiu, were one of the numerous Chinese Super League sides that were hit with a points deduction ahead of the 2026 season for alleged match-fixing. They were docked seven points.

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