Drake and Adin Ross are being sued over their promotion of Stake.
The federal class-action lawsuit, as reviewed by Complex, was filed in Virginia on Wednesday (Dec. 31) and claims that the website is “operating as one of the largest and most profitable illegal online casinos” since at least 2022.
Plaintiffs LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines allege that Stake misleads consumers while allowing real money wagering disguised as virtual currency play.
The platform supposedly advertises that it does "not offer real money gambling," that "no purchase or payment is necessary to participate or play [Stake] games," and that it provides "the ultimate social, safe and free gaming experience," but the complaint says these statements are false because users buy Gold Coins that are always bundled with Stake Cash, which can be cashed out one to one for U.S. dollars.
Drake and Ross are characterized in the lawsuit as “zealous” and “paid” promoters of the platform, with incentives to “mask the true nature and extent of their conduct.”
“The two have engaged in live-streamed gambling, wagering large sums of money that was provided surreptitiously by Stake,” read an excerpt of the lawsuit. “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 complaint also claims Stake's internal "tipping" system was used by Drake, Ross, and Nguyen to move large sums of money, including a public $100,000 tip between Drake and Ross, to fund “artificial streaming (‘botting’) to create fraudulent streams of Drake’s music,” in an effort to “fabricate popularity; disparage competitors and music label executives; distort recommendation algorithms; and distribute financing for all of the foregoing, while concealing the flow of funds.”
Both plaintiffs say they lost money after being misled and seek damages, penalties, and an order stopping the conduct.
Drake, who reportedly signed a $100 million endorsement deal with Stake in 2022, was also named as a defendant in two Stake-related lawsuits, both filed in October 2025 just days apart.
Ross was also named a defendant in the aforementioned October lawsuits. He responded to the lawsuits during a livestream, calling them “fucking bullshit.”
