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Famed rapper Drake, online influencer Adin Ross, online sweeps casino Stake.us, and several others are the targets of a lawsuit alleging that they promoted illegal online gambling.
In court documents, the plaintiff, Justin Killham, claims that Stake.us is merely a rebranded version of online casino Stake.com, allowing players to gamble real money via sweepstakes coins.
“Stake.us is a virtual clone of Stake.com, rebranded to mislead Missouri regulators and consumers into believing it offers harmless gameplay instead of an unlawful gambling platform,” the documents say. “On Stake.com, players buy chips, gamble and cash out their winnings—just like at a regular casino. But Stake knew that openly selling casino chips to U.S. customers would immediately expose Stake.us as an illegal online casino.”
Killham filed the lawsuit on Oct. 27. The case is scheduled to go to trial on March 20, 2026.
How the Stake-Drake lawsuit came about
Court documents indicate that Killham lost money playing on Stake.us, including during the three months leading up to the filing. He claims his losses resulted from Stake’s “wrongful trade practices.”
The lawsuit also challenges the legitimacy of sweepstakes gaming, describing it as a front for illegal online casino gambling. The plaintiff alleges that Stake.us is nearly identical to Stake.com, which operates as a traditional real-money online casino rather than a sweepstakes model.
One section of the lawsuit argues that Stake.us’ live table games function like casino games, since players use sweeps coins to place wagers.
“At these Live Tables, players wager Stake Cash, communicate via live chat with dealers and other players, and watch as dealers physically handle cards or spin the roulette wheel in real time,” the suit states. “The realistic, immersive nature of these live dealer interactions intensifies the gambling experience, rendering it indistinguishable from gambling at traditional casinos.”
The complaint further criticizes the sweepstakes casino framework, claiming it “transforms what appears to be an innocuous gaming platform into an unregulated online casino where players use real money to gamble on games of chance.”
Killham asserts that Stake.us’ platform “fosters precisely the addictive, financially ruinous and psychologically damaging activities that Missouri law aims to prevent.”
Stake, Ross named for their role in promoting Stake.us
The lawsuit alleges that Stake uses aggressive marketing tactics through influencers such as Drake and Adin Ross.
It specifically calls out Stake for using Drake as a spokesperson, saying his involvement “massively” boosted the casino’s popularity, “especially among younger, impressionable audiences who admire Drake’s glamorous lifestyle.”
The suit contends that the conduct of Stake, Drake and Ross “threatens the welfare of Missouri residents and especially its young people.”
What a successful lawsuit could mean for US sweepstakes casinos
The suit against Stake targets a growing concern surrounding US sweepstakes casinos: that they involve real-money gambling and are perceived by players as traditional gambling websites. (The claim that Stake operates an illegal online casino remains an allegation under Missouri law, not a fact.)
Earlier this year, the American Gaming Association published a survey showing that 90% of sweepstakes casino users believe they are gambling, and 68% said they play sweepstakes casinos to win real money.
While Missouri lawmakers have not yet ruled that sweepstakes gambling constitutes illegal online casino activity, sentiment appears to be shifting.
In October, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill banning sweepstakes casinos, and, recently, Google reclassified sweepstakes casinos as gambling.
If the Missouri lawsuit succeeds, it could set a precedent for other states with legal online casinos and potentially influence regulations in states considering online gaming or iGaming expansion.
