*Drake’s partnership with social casino platform Stake.us has become the focus of federal litigation alleging both gambling violations and streaming fraud.
According to Gizmodo, a class action lawsuit filed in a Virginia federal court claims the rapper participated in schemes to manipulate his music play counts while promoting what plaintiffs describe as an illegal online gambling operation.
Plaintiffs LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines filed the complaint against Sweepsteaks Limited, Stake.us’s parent company, Drake, online streamer Adin Ross, and George Nguyen, who is accused of facilitating the alleged botting operation. According to the filing, the defendants misrepresented Stake while accepting payment to promote it, causing “harm on consumers across the Commonwealth who have lost real money chasing gambling wins on the Stake platform.”
The lawsuit further claims Drake, Ross, and Nguyen transferred funds “between and among themselves, using Stake’s ‘Tipping’ program.” Plaintiffs say the money was used to operate bots that artificially boosted Drake’s music streaming numbers, allegedly violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act as well as Virginia consumer protection laws.
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Central to the dispute is Stake.us’s business model. Players buy “Gold Coins” to gamble digitally, which cannot be converted to cash, but also receive “Stake Cash” that can be redeemed after meeting wagering requirements. The suit argues this constitutes real-money online gambling, illegal in Virginia and other states.
The complaint notes that Drake and Ross were paid to promote Stake and appeared in livestreams gambling with company-supplied funds. “In other words, though Drake and Ross purported to be gambling with their own Stake Cash, it was in fact provided to them by the house,” the filing states.
Plaintiffs are seeking at least $5 million in damages, refunds for users, return of illicitly earned profits, injunctions against the alleged conduct, and additional federal remedies. Drake reportedly signed a $100 million annual endorsement deal with Stake in 2022, and this marks the second lawsuit tied to his Stake.us relationship, following an October filing in Missouri with similar allegations.
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