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Read Full BioMajor League Soccer (MLS) has issued lifetime suspensions to Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah for violating the league’s gambling rules. The players are accused of betting extensively on soccer matches, including on their own teams, during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
In one instance, both players wagered on Jones to receive a yellow card during the Columbus Crew’s match against the New York Red Bulls on October 19, 2024. In the match, the Columbus Crew produced an early two-goal lead before Jones received a booking in the 35th minute for a foul on Daniel Edelman.
In a statement, the MLS said the players “likely shared confidential information with other bettors about their intent to draw yellow cards.”
The two players, both from Ghana, played together for the Columbus Crew in 2024. Yeboah then left for Los Angeles FC. It is unclear if the LA club was aware of the impending ban, but they agreed to cancel his contract in January, paving the way for a move to China. He has scored one goal in one appearance for Qingdao Hainu since joining the team in February.
The Chinese league has also been at the center of a gambling scandal. Qingdao Hainu started the season with minus 7 points due to allegations of match-fixing. The club is one of nine teams to be sanctioned amid accusations of widespread corruption.
Jones has played his entire career in the US after moving to Philadelphia with his family when he was 14. He left the Columbus Crew when his contract expired at the end of last year and has been a free agent since then.
FIFA is likely to extend the ban beyond the MLS to prevent the players from playing professionally in other countries.
Extensive Gambling on Soccer
The only bet revealed by the MLS was the wager on Jones to receive a yellow card; however, it is alleged that they both “engaged in extensive gambling on soccer, including on their own teams, during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.”
Jones received three yellow cards during the 2024 season, but none in 2025. During the 2023 season, while playing for Charlotte FC, he received 11 yellow cards in 28 matches, an unusually high number for any soccer player.
Yeboah received three yellow cards for the Columbus Crew in 2024, including one against Charlotte on March 23. In the same match, Jones was sent off against his old club. The referee gave the midfielder a red card after reviewing a challenge on Djibril Diani.
MLS Calls for Prop Bet Ban
In the wake of the investigation, MLS Commissioner Don Garber has called for a ban on prop betting. He said, “Major League Soccer remains steadfast in its commitment to match integrity.”
“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.”
Recently, players in Brazil and Australia have been sanctioned for deliberately picking up yellow cards. It is perhaps the easiest wager for players to fix, and it rarely affects match outcomes.
Globally, soccer is the sport with the most suspected match-fixing cases. Last year, the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) noted 110 instances of suspicious betting activity in the sport. That made up over 35% of the total of 300 cases across all sports.
In the US, high-profile gambling scandals in the NBA, NCAA, and MLB have led to increased calls to ban prop betting. Our feature on the future of prop betting delves deeper on the subject.
