MLS Slams Two Players with Permanent Bans over Insider Betting

Two Major League Soccer (MLS) athletes have been slammed with bans due to gambling-related violations. The pair included Derrick Jones and Yaw Yeboah, who were found guilty of betting on games involving their own teams.

The Two Players Received Lifetime Bans from the MLS

According to the MLS, Jones and Yeboah breached the league’s prohibition of insider betting and placed wagers on MLS matches. To make matters worse, their wagers included ones on games they participated in, which constitutes a significant offense.

The violations were uncovered as part of an investigation into suspicious betting that was carried out by Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP. The firm discovered that Jones and Yeboah placed a significant number of wagers during the 2024 and 2025 domestic seasons.

However, the fraudulent activity doesn’t stop there as one case saw the two players wager on Jones receiving a yellow card, which he did later in the game in question, suggesting potential manipulation. For context, the case relates to the game between the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls in October 2024. However, the MLS emphasized that there is no evidence to confirm that the betting activity influenced the games.

Additional investigation into the matter suggests that the two players were in cahoots with other bettors, sharing crucial betting information.

In any case, the severe violations earned both Jones and Yeboah lifetime bans from competing. MLS commissioner Don Garber commented on the matter, highlighting the importance of integrity to his team. He promised that the MLS will continue to enforce its policies, enhance education efforts, and advocate for the elimination of yellow card-related bets nationwide.

Sportradar Highlighted Soccer as One of the Riskier Sports

Speaking of insider betting and potential match manipulation, Sportradar recently released its match-fixing report, declaring a slight decrease in event manipulation worldwide. However, the company confirmed soccer as one of the riskiest sporting disciplines when it comes to betting fraud.

The Integrity in Action 2025: Global Analysis & Trends report highlighted soccer as the most impacted discipline with 618 suspicious matches detected (out of a total of 1,116 suspicious games across all disciplines).

In other news, integrity concerns sparked renewed calls for the ban of micro bets and prop bets in the state of Louisiana.