The relationship between Stake and rap legend Drake has been accused of being ‘quietly corrosive’, in a lawsuit filed in Missouri.
The class-action claim in the Missouri State Court of Law includes its brand ambassadors Aubrey “Drake” Graham and influencer Adin Ross.
Allegations against Stake and Drake include the ‘glamorizing of gambling, to millions of impressionable fans, who treat his betting habits as gospel.’
The complaint, filed in the Circuit Court of Jackson County, is brought by Justin Killham of Independence, Missouri, on behalf of a proposed class of residents who allege they lost money gambling on Stake.US, purportedly lured by online casino promotions promoted by Drake and Ross for illegal and deceptive gambling.
It’s a lawsuit that may well have a significant impact on future claims against influencers and shift the framework around the way influencers are utilised in gambling marketing.
The lawsuit accuses Stake’s parent company, Sweepstakes Limited, of operating an unlicensed and unlawful online casino under the guise of a “social gaming” platform against state law in Missouri, where all forms of internet casino gambling remain banned, according to the 34-page petition.
Stake.US is called, in the filing, a “virtual clone” of the company’s global gambling site Stake.com, which was rebranded to fool regulators and consumers into believing it was a benign social casino.
Players, the lawsuit says, were permitted to buy “Gold Coins” for pleasure but were also gifted “Stake Cash” — digital tokens redeemable for real-world money at a 1:1 USD value.
The lawsuit further alleges that Stake, Drake, and Ross engaged in deceptive trade practices, using social media and livestream promotions to market Stake.US to U.S. consumers, while also hiding the platform’s real-money gambling features.
Both celebrities are charged with promoting gamblers on the site under false pretenses, including livestreaming gambling sessions paid for and, in some cases, even funded by Stake itself — not their own money — as if the gambling is real, high-stakes behaviour.
“These acts are deceptive, fraudulent and unfair and constitute violations of Missouri law,” the complaint reads, noting that the influencers’ actions “exposed Missouri consumers to financial ruin, psychological distress, and gambling addiction.”
The Missouri class action under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA) seeks recovery of gambling losses, restitution, punitive damages, and an injunction against Stake and its ambassadors from further promoting or operating the platform in Missouri.
Stake has drawn scrutiny by regulators and the media in the United States for operating outside of gambling laws through crypto-based social casino mechanics, as well as via influencer-created promotions to reach audiences.
It is one of the first state-level consumer actions to directly name Drake and Adin Ross as co-defendants amid such illegal gambling activity. If successful, the suit could lay out that sort of class action that could easily be applied to other U.S. states where Stake.US operates, challenging the “fuzzy distinction between free play casino gaming and betting” on real money promoted by influencer culture.
In 2025, Ed Craven, co-founder of Stake and Kick, said the company had begun a strategic transformation toward regulated markets, aiming to ensure long-term, sustainable growth.
Stake announced its sponsorship of Drake in 2022, making him the first global artist to endorse an online casino platform for a record-breaking sponsorship. The partnership has since drawn criticism, as the rapper frequently appeared on livestreams wagering millions of dollars, often through unprotected content viewed by younger audiences.
In September, Adin Ross announced his departure as a Stake ambassador, a move believed to stem from several factors—including his personal decision to end gambling livestreams, reports that Kick (the streaming platform backed by Stake) has scaled back major creator contracts, and his desire to reposition his content for future commercial deals.
Ross publicly stated that he would no longer promote gambling streams to his audience.
