A new class-action lawsuit filed by two consumers in Virginia accuses music superstar Drake, streamer Adin Ross, and a third man based in Australia of luring users into real-money gambling on the casino platform Stake.us as part of a racketeering conspiracy that allegedly used proceeds to “artificially inflate streaming counts for Drake’s catalog.”
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Virginia, claims the three men worked with Stake to “prey upon consumers,” unlawfully expose them to the “substantial risks of gambling addiction,” and jeopardize their financial well-being. The plaintiffs say they were “influenced to participate” in Stake’s “predatorial gambling environment” after viewing Drake’s paid promotion of the site, including live-streamed gambling sessions and giveaways.
According to the complaint, Drake, Ross, and the Australian national, identified as George Nguyen, acted as “zealous promoters” of Stake in exchange for payment and access to the platform, which the lawsuit describes as a covert “money transfer conduit.” (Stake, which is owned by Sweepsteaks Ltd. in Cyprus and operates Stake.us from offices in Dallas, Ross, and Nguyen did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A representative for Drake declined to comment.)
The lawsuit, filed by LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines, alleges the three men used Stake’s user-to-user “tipping” feature to directly transfer money among themselves. The complaint characterizes the program as “an unlimited and wholly unregulated money transmitter that appears to exist outside the oversight of any financial regulator.” It further alleges the funds were later used to finance fraudulent streams of Drake’s music and “amplification campaigns” that at times targeted competitors with disparaging content.
