Big-name lawsuit
A class action lawsuit filed in the 16th Circuit Court of Jackson, Missouri has accused crypto casino giant Stake, rapper Drake, and influencer Adin Ross of promoting illegal online gambling in Missouri.
threatens the welfare of Missouri residents”
According to the suit, lead plaintiff Justin Killham claims the conduct of the two celebrities and Stake “threatens the welfare of Missouri residents and especially its young people.”
Gaming law and sports betting attorney Daniel Wallach took to X on Tuesday with selected pages from the suit:
Wallach said the suit seeks to hold the Canadian rapper and Ross liable for class members’ gambling losses.
Not their money?
Killham claims Stake pays Ross and Drake a promotional fee of millions of dollars to livestream their online casino gambling “under deeply fraudulent pretenses.”
The accusation of duplicity comes from the celebrities allegedly gambling online with money that’s often not their own despite claiming otherwise. The suit claims: “Stake apparently fronts Drake and Ross ‘house money,’ so any reported losses are part of a marketing tactic designed to draw attention.”
The class action pays particular attention to the Curacao-based brand’s online sponsorship of Drake and how Stake.us and Stake.com “prominently” promote Drake and its relationship with the crypto firm. Stake’s strategy is to use the musician’s “celebrity influence to encourage impressionable users to gamble,” the suit alleges.
The plaintiffs have done some digging too, highlighting a promotional page on Stake.com describing Drake’s journey from a gambler to a partner.
Popularity factor
The suit goes on to list the popularity of Drake’s official social media platforms on Instagram and X, which it said reaches over 142 million and 38 million followers respectively, complete with prominent Stake branding.
glamorizing the platform to millions”
“Drake’s role as Stake’s unofficial mascot is quietly corrosive—he’s glamorizing the platform to millions of impressionable fans, many of whom treat his wild betting habits like gospel,” the suit claims. It goes on to suggest that Stake’s influencer marketing activities “especially through Drake and Ross, is directed among teenagers in Missouri and in other states.”
While online casino gambling is banned in Missouri, legal online sports betting is rolling out in the state on December 1, with The Missouri Gaming Commission last week awarding temporary online sports betting licenses to nine applicants.
