Rapper Drake and influencer Adin Ross are facing a lawsuit in Missouri alleging they promoted illegal gambling connected to sweepstakes casino Stake.us.
Thumbnail taken from the ‘Drake paying it forward with LeBron James ♥’ video
Plaintiff Justin Killham filed the class action petition on October 27, and in it he alleges “violation of Missouri state gaming and consumer protection laws”.
Killham states he lost money on Stake – the filing doesn’t specify which platform, but as an American resident, it’s likely he used Stake.us, the sweepstakes version of the brand.
A class action like this could potentially open up eligibility for all other Missouri residents who have lost money in the same way, but do the allegations hold up?
Inside Drake’s Partnership With Stake
The filing names Sweepsteaks Limited, the operator of Stake.us, alongside Adin Ross and Drake.
The rapper has frequently streamed himself playing on Stake.com via the Kick platform (also owned by Stake). Ross, a popular influencer in his own right, has appeared on such streams with Drake.
Reports claim that Drake’s original contract with Stake was worth around $100 million, and Stake has featured the star prominently in promotional material, including in official videos like the one below:
Both Stake.com and Stake.us have prominent webpages highlighting the partnership. The page on Stake.us reads:
“Drake, the hip-hop sensation, has been a long-time member of the Stake community. Storming the ranks of the VIP program, Drake fell in love with both the platform, and the perks associated with our VIP program. It was then that this partnership was formed, based on mutual appreciation between mega-star and product.”
Drake has experienced both major wins and heavy losses while playing on Stake streams, prompting ongoing speculation about whether he wagers his own funds. Then in August 2025, he reportedly deleted his Kick account and criticized Stake’s owners after claiming his withdrawals had been blocked on multiple occasions.
More recently on October 27, social media posts and news outlets posted the below video claiming that Stake had gifted Drake $1 million for his birthday. It remains to be seen whether this means the rapper is to return to promoting the brand.
🚨 Drake has been gifted 1M$ for his birthday by Stake! 😳😂 pic.twitter.com/ipREjojCZP
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) October 27, 2025
How the Drake Lawsuit Frames Stake.us as Illegal Gambling
Killham’s filing is a little confusing because it refers to losses incurred on Stake.us, although the live streams from Ross and Drake have promoted Stake.com specifically. However, the two platforms are closely linked and share a nearly identical interface. Stake.us is the sweepstakes-based version created for US players, while Stake.com operates internationally, and both stes were co-founded by Australian entrepreneurs Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani.
Most US states prohibit online gambling, so Stake.us uses a sweepstakes model with two currencies: Gold Coins for free play and Sweeps Coins (or Stake Cash) which can be redeemed for cash prizes. This system is designed to avoid the ‘consideration’ element required to classify a product as gambling under US law.
Killham’s suit alleges that despite this structure, Stake.us functions as an illegal online casino. He argues that Stake.us meets the definition of illegal gambling under Missouri law and that the defendants violated Missouri’s consumer protection statutes by promoting these gambling activities through influencer marketing.
However, for his case to succeed, it must overcome the hurdle that many similar suits have failed to clear: proving that Stake.us operates as illegal gambling. No firm legal precedent exists, leaving sweepstakes casinos in a gray area where cases are often ended via arbitration clauses, jurisdictional arguments, or private settlements.
This year alone, several lawsuits have challenged Stake.us and other sweepstakes casinos on the same point with nothing yet to show for it. This includes one case filed by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office. Granted, this case seemed to have more of an impact than most.
That action named Stake.us along with game suppliers such as Evolution, Hacksaw Gaming, and Pragmatic Play, accusing them of knowingly licensing their games to an unlicensed platform. Seemingly as a result of the legal pressure, Pragmatic Play withdrew from the sweeps format completely.
Whether the suit filed in Missouri will have any impact remains to be seen, and at this stage, Stake appears largely unfazed. A company spokesperson told SiGMA News that neither Stake.com nor Stake.us has been formally served with the complaint:
“We have not been served at this time. We reject allegations that have been made in the media in relation to this potential claim and will vigorously defend this and all such claims.”
Drake and Ross are yet to comment.
Author: Joseph Allen
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