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<p>Rapper Drake is a central figure in a newly filed federal class-action lawsuit that alleges illegal crypto gambling promotion tied to the website Stake.us.</p>
<p>The lawsuit was filed on December 31, 2025, in a Virginia federal court and names Drake (legal name Aubrey Graham), popular streamer Adin Ross, and Australian national George Nguyen as defendants.</p>
<h3 id="allegations-of-illegal-online-gambling">Allegations of Illegal Online Gambling</h3>
<p>According to the complaint, Stake.us allegedly operates as a U.S.-facing version of Stake.com, an international crypto gambling platform that is banned in the United States. The plaintiffs claim Stake.us attempts to bypass U.S. gambling laws by presenting itself as a “social casino.”</p>
<p>Users reportedly purchase virtual “Gold Coins”, while receiving “Stake Cash” as a bonus. The lawsuit argues that Stake Cash can be redeemed for cryptocurrency, effectively transforming the platform into a real-money online casino despite its social gaming label.</p>
<h3 id="deceptive-promotion-and-the-drake-effect">Deceptive Promotion and the “Drake Effect”</h3>
<p>The lawsuit alleges that Drake and Adin Ross were paid promoters of Stake.us and that both publicly gambled using funds secretly supplied by the platform rather than their own money.</p>
<p>Plaintiffs claim this created a misleading impression that high-stakes wagers were genuine, encouraging fans, many of them young and impressionable—to participate. The complaint refers to this influence as the “Drake effect,” citing Drake’s massive global following.</p>
<h3 id="streaming-manipulation-claims">Streaming Manipulation Claims</h3>
<p>One of the more unusual allegations involves the platform’s alleged unregulated “tipping” feature. The lawsuit claims defendants transferred funds among themselves using this mechanism and then used the money to finance bots and streaming farms.</p>
<p>According to the plaintiffs, these tools were used to artificially inflate Drake’s music streams on platforms such as Spotify, distorting music charts and recommendation algorithms by fabricating engagement and popularity.</p>
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<h3 id="rico-violations-alleged">RICO Violations Alleged</h3>
<p>The plaintiffs accuse the defendants of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, a statute typically used in cases involving organized and coordinated schemes. They argue the alleged gambling operation, promotional practices, and streaming manipulation form part of a broader unlawful enterprise.</p>
<p>The lawsuit seeks at least $5 million in damages and requests a jury trial.</p>
<h3 id="responses-and-legal-context">Responses and Legal Context</h3>
<p>A spokesperson for Stake dismissed the allegations as “nonsense,” stating the company is “not concerned” about the lawsuit. The company denied the existence of any tipping function that could be used for the purposes described in the complaint.</p>
<p>This case is not isolated. Similar lawsuits related to Stake have previously been filed in Missouri, California, and Illinois.</p>
<p>As of now, none of the allegations have been proven in court, and all defendants are presumed innocent while the case proceeds through the legal system.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.ethnews.com/drake-named-in-rico-lawsuit-over-alleged-crypto-gambling-promotions/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Drake Named in RICO Lawsuit Over Alleged Crypto Gambling Promotions</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.ethnews.com" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">ETHNews</a>.</p>

Drake Named in RICO Lawsuit Over Alleged Crypto Gambling Promotions

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