Ghana’s Yaw Yeboah handed lifetime MLS ban over gambling violations

Major League Soccer has issued lifetime suspensions to Yaw Yeboah and Derrick Jones after both players were found to have violated the league’s gambling policy.

The league confirmed that neither player is currently under contract with an MLS club, but the sanctions were imposed following an extensive investigation into suspicious betting activity.

According to MLS, integrity partners flagged unusual betting alerts, prompting the league to appoint the law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP to conduct a full investigation. Both players were subsequently placed on administrative leave while the review was carried out.

Following the investigation, MLS concluded that the two players engaged in extensive betting on football matches during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, including wagers involving their own teams.

The investigation revealed that in one particular case, both players placed bets on Jones to receive a yellow card during a match on October 19, 2024. Jones went on to receive the booking during that game.

The league also determined that the players likely shared confidential information with other bettors regarding their intention to receive yellow cards in matches.

Despite the findings, MLS stated that investigators did not uncover evidence suggesting that the betting activities influenced the final result of any match.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber stressed the league’s commitment to protecting the integrity of the competition.

“Major League Soccer remains steadfast in its commitment to match integrity,” Garber said. “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.”