Major League Soccer has imposed lifetime bans on Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah for violating league gambling policies. The league's investigation found the players engaged in extensive betting on matches, including wagers on their own teams, during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Suspicious betting alerts prompted the probe.
Jones, 29, previously played for Columbus Crew, while 28-year-old Yeboah was a teammate before joining Los Angeles FC. The violations spanned Jones' tenure at Columbus and Yeboah's time with both the Crew and LAFC. Investigators found instances where both players bet on Jones receiving a yellow card during a 2024 match. Evidence suggests they shared confidential information about planned bookings, though no influence on match outcomes was proven.
Both players were provisionally suspended in October 2025. Commissioner Don Garber stated MLS will continue to enforce its policies and advocate for the elimination of yellow card wagering to protect competition integrity.