Trending Now - Two Ex-mls Players Receive Lifetime Bans for Game Betting
WHO:
Derrick Jones, 29 years old, most recently played for the Columbus Crew, appearing in 23 games across the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Yaw Yeboah, 28 years old, was a teammate of Jones with the Columbus Crew before joining Los Angeles FC in 2025.
Derrick Jones, Yaw Yeboah, Major League Soccer (MLS), MLS Commissioner Don Garber
Felipe Hernàndez, Sporting Kansas City midfielder
WHAT:
The Columbus Crew condemned the actions of Jones and Yaw Yeboah, stating they "fully adhere to all MLS policies on educating and enforcing sports gambling regulations with team personnel."
Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah received lifetime bans from MLS for extensive gambling, including betting on their own games.
The investigation revealed that both players engaged in extensive gambling on soccer during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
In one instance, both players bet on Jones to receive a yellow card during a match on October 19, 2024, which he did receive.
MLS placed Jones and Yaw Yeboah on administrative leave in late October 2025 pending the investigation.
WHERE:
Columbus Crew (MLS team), Los Angeles FC (LAFC), China (current location of Yaw Yeboah)
WHEN:
The 2026 MLS season began in February 2026 and will conclude in November 2026.
The investigation began in late October 2025.
The match in which Jones received a yellow card occurred on October 19, 2024.
Yaw Yeboah signed with LAFC in 2025 and mutually agreed to cancel his contract in January 2026.
WHY:
The investigation concluded that the players most likely shared inside information with other bettors.
The bans were issued due to violations of MLS's gambling policy after receiving suspicious betting alerts.
HOW:
MLS received suspicious betting alerts through its partners, prompting the investigation.
MLS retained a law firm to conduct an investigation into the betting activities of Jones and Yaw Yeboah.
The league stated that while both players likely shared conditional information, there was no evidence that their betting affected match outcomes.
(UPDATED March 10, 2026 07:15 UTC)
The Columbus Crew has condemned the actions of Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah, stating they fully adhere to all MLS policies regarding sports gambling regulations. An investigation revealed that the players likely shared inside information with other bettors, which was prompted by suspicious betting alerts received by MLS through its partners. Jones, who is 29 and most recently played for the Crew, and Yeboah, 28, who joined Los Angeles FC after their time together, are now facing serious scrutiny as the 2026 MLS season unfolds.
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(UPDATED March 10, 2026 01:25 UTC)
In a significant move, Major League Soccer has issued lifetime bans to Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah for extensive gambling, including betting on their own games. The investigation, which began last October, revealed that both players engaged in betting activities during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, with one notable instance involving a bet on Jones to receive a yellow card in a match on October 19, 2024. Although MLS found no evidence that their betting affected match outcomes, the league's commissioner, Don Garber, emphasized the importance of upholding the integrity of the sport.