Date: March 10, 2026
Category: Sports Integrity & Regulation
Summary:
Major League Soccer (MLS) has issued lifetime bans to midfielder Derrick Jones and winger Yaw Yeboah for violating the league’s strict gambling policy. The investigation, which concluded on March 10, 2026, found that the players “engaged in extensive gambling on soccer, including on their own teams” during the 2024 and 2025 seasons. In a specific incident, both players placed bets on Jones receiving a yellow card in a match against the New York Red Bulls on October 19, 2024—a bet that ultimately paid out as Jones was indeed booked. The league also determined that the players likely shared confidential information about their intent to draw cards with other bettors. Yeboah, who recently signed for Chinese Super League side Qingdao Hainiu, and Jones, who was released from the Columbus Crew last November, are now permanently barred from participating in MLS. The league stated that while the betting activities did not appear to affect match outcomes, they represented a clear breach of integrity rules .
Key Quote:
“The integrity of our game is our highest priority. We will continue to take decisive action against any individuals who compromise that integrity.” — MLS Spokesperson
