Drake's major deal with an online "social casino" is now at the center of a federal racketeering case that claims the site doubled as a backdoor for gambling and music-stream manipulation. A class-action lawsuit filed in Virginia last week accuses Drake, streaming star Adin Ross, and Stake.us parent company Sweepsteaks Limited of promoting what was effectively an illegal real-money casino and using its systems to quietly shuffle funds. Plaintiffs LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines say the defendants misled users about Stake.us while being paid to hype it, causing "harm on consumers" who lost actual cash chasing big wins, Gizmodo reports.
Stake.us bills itself as a social casino that lets users buy "Gold Coins" to play digital slots and poker; those coins can't be cashed out. But players also get "Stake Cash" through bundles, log-in bonuses, and promos—credits that can eventually be converted into real money if certain wagering requirements are met. The suit argues that the setup makes Stake.us functionally no different from real-money online gambling, which is prohibited in Virginia and many other states. It also says Drake and Ross appeared in livestreams gambling eye-popping sums that were actually supplied by Stake, not staked from their own pockets.
The suit invokes the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. It claims Drake, Ross, and George Nguyen used Stake's "tipping" feature to move proceeds among themselves and then used that money to pay for bots that artificially inflated Drake's streaming numbers on platforms including Spotify. The suit says the idea was to "manufacture popularity" and "distort playlists and charts," per NBC News. The plaintiffs are seeking at least $5 million, refunds for users, the return of allegedly ill-gotten gains, and court orders halting the conduct. Stake.us and representatives for Drake did not respond to Gizmodo's requests for comment. No one has been charged criminally in the matter, per NBC.