Major League Soccer on Monday afternoon announced lifetime suspensions to former MLS players Derrick Jones & Yaw Yeboah for betting on MLS matches.

Derrick Jones, 29, most recently played for the Columbus Crew & Yaw Yeboah, 28, most recently played for Los Angeles FC. 

The duo who both played together at Columbus Crew (2024-25) were both placed on administrative leave pending league review of potential violations of MLS league rules on October 25, 2025.

On Monday afternoon, Major League Soccer released a statement stating that after receiving suspicious betting alerts through their integrity partners, they retained law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP to conduct an investigation.

After reviewing the results of their investigation, Major League Soccer concluded that both players had engaged in extensive gambling on soccer, including their own teams, during the 2024 & 2025 MLS seasons.

In one instance highlighted by the release, both players [Yeboah & Jones] had placed bets on Jones to receive a yellow card during the October 19th, 2024 match between Columbus Crew & Red Bull New York. In the 35th minute of that match, Jones received a yellow card for a harsh late foul on Red Bull New York midfielder Daniel Edelman.

The league additionally determined that, “the players likely shared confidential information with other bettors about their intent to draw yellow cards.”

Major League Soccer added that “No evidence was identified that suggested that any of the 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,m and advocate for the elimination of yellow card wagering in all states to protect the integrity of our competition for clubs, players, and fans.”

MLS has been working tirelessly with jurisdictions that allow betting to remove yellow and red cards as part of betting opportunities. So far, 33/52 jurisdictions do not allow betting on yellow & red cards and 15 changed rules after outreach.

After the announcement of suspensions, the Columbus Crew released a statement through a club spokesperson:

“The Columbus Crew are proud of the reputation we’ve established in MLS and global soccer that’s rooted in respect and integrity throughout our organization. We fully condemn all actions and notions that aren’t aligned with these critical values for our Club and any individual’s activity contradicting the principles of fair competition that are pivotal to our team, league and sport.

“The Crew – who strictly adhere to all MLS policies on educating and enforcing sports gambling regulations with team personnel – fully cooperated with the league since first learning about the inquiry regarding the players in question. Given the nature of the investigation, the Club defers all comments on its results and discipline to the league.”

Yeboah, 28, mutually agreed to a contract termination with his former MLS team, Los Angeles FC, on January 17, 2026. On February 28, 2026, he signed with Chinese Super League club Quingdao Hainiu F.C. The CSL club is currently in 15th place with a 0 win, 1 draw, 1 loss record. They currently are on -7 points as they were found guilty (along with 9 other teams in the league) of historic offenses related to match-fixing, gambling, and corruption.

Jones, 29, signed a two-year deal with Columbus Crew as a free agent in December of 2023. On November 26, 2025, his club option was declined. He is currently a free agent.

This is not the first instance of MLS policing its players for gambling. In July of 2021, Sporting Kansas City midfielder Felipe Hernández was placed on administrative league & then in October of 2021, was suspended without pay for the remainder of the season due to violations of the league’s gambling integrity rules and standards of conduct. Hernandez engaged in extensive and unlawful sports gambling while a member of Sporting Kansas City that included placing wagers on two MLS matches, in direct contravention of league rules. 

Hernández was then found in violation for a second time in June of 2024. His contract was subsequently terminated by the league in September of 2024. Hernández however does have the opportunity to be re-instated as of January 1, 2026, on application to the Commissioner’s office.

Major League Soccer isn’t the only league dealing with this issue as several players have been suspended in the NFL, NHL, MLB, & college athletics after a Supreme Court decision in 2018 struck down a federal prohibition on sports betting.