The rapper is under stress again: He is accused of fraudulent advertising for illegal gambling.
Drake, Adin Ross and Sweepstakes Limited, the company behind the online “social casino” Stake.us, have been sued in Missouri. They are accused of circumventing state gambling laws and of promoting illegal online gambling to young people.
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Drake: That’s why he got sued again
Apparently, when one door closes, another opens – at least when it comes to Drake’s legal battles. The rapper’s trial for alleged defamation in the Kendrick Lamar diss track “Not Like Us” recently ended, and the next legal battle is already imminent.
What happened: Drake acts as an advocate for Stake.us, the online gambling platform of the US company Stake. The website describes itself as a “social casino” where users can play with virtual money.
In his 34-page lawsuit, plaintiff Justin Killham accuses the platform of circumventing state gambling laws by offering to purchase gold coins with no real value. Users can bundle these with a “Stake Cash” bonus, which in turn can be gambled away and redeemed for cryptocurrency – according to the lawsuit, a “clear means of real money gambling.”
Killham also accuses Drake and Kick streamer Adin Ross of using “highly deceptive” marketing practices to promote Stake.us.
Not using your own money at all?
The lawsuit alleges that Stake engaged in “deceptive trade practices” that “caused serious harm to vulnerable people in Missouri.” Younger consumers and people with gambling addiction problems in particular are said to have been influenced by the rapper’s advertising strategies. Killham accuses the company of flooding social media with advertisements and videos from “influencers” promoting the allegedly illegal gambling at Stake. Drake and Ross are said to be among the largest distributors of this advertising.
The two claimed to be playing on Stake.us with their own money, but were actually paid by the company to fake it. The lawsuit states: “Stake specifically pays online influencers Adin Ross and Aubrey Drake Graham millions of dollars each annually to promote ‘Livestream Online Casino Gambling with Stake.com’.” Drake and Ross allegedly gave the impression that Stake.us was a “social casino,” when in reality it was a real casino with real money loss.
The lawsuit argues that “Stake Cash,” which can be wagered online and redeemed for real money, allowed the company to “operate an unlicensed and illegal online casino in Missouri.”
Stake: In our sights for a long time
The gaming company came under fire earlier this year when several X accounts posted memes with a small Stake logo at the bottom. It remained unclear whether Stake itself was behind these posts or had paid the authors to insert the logo. After a viral post by an adult film actress wearing a Stake logo attracted attention, the UK Gambling Commission launched an investigation. In February, the Commission said that Stake’s partner, TGP Europe Limited, would close the platform in the UK.
Stake has so far rejected all allegations. “We have not received a lawsuit at this time. We reject the allegations made in the media regarding this potential lawsuit and will vigorously defend this and any similar lawsuits,” a company spokesperson told Sigma News.
Neither Ross nor Drake have publicly commented on the lawsuit at the time of publication.