A Missouri resident has filed a lawsuit against Drake, streamer Adin Ross, and Stake’s parent company, Sweepstakes Limited, accusing them of promoting illegal online gambling.
According to court plaintiff Justin Killham alleges that Stake, which operates in the U.S. despite online casino gambling being restricted or banned in several states, is “openly violating … Missouri state gaming and consumer protection laws.” The lawsuit claims that the company’s U.S. platform, Stake.us, is marketed as a “social casino” but is essentially a “virtual clone” of its main site, Stake.com.
Killham accuses Stake of engaging in “deceptive trade practices” that have caused “severe harm” to vulnerable Missourians, especially young people and those struggling with gambling addiction. He also claims the company floods social media with influencer-driven promotions—naming Drake and Kick streamer Adin Ross as two of the most prominent figures in these campaigns.
“Stake in particular pays online influencer-defendants Adin Ross and Aubrey Drake Graham each millions of dollars yearly to engage in promotion ‘livestream online casino gambling with Stake.com,’” the filing states, alleging that both stars mislead fans by pretending to gamble with their own money instead of Stake-funded accounts.
“These acts are deceptive, fraudulent and unfair and violate Missouri law,” the lawsuit continues. “Drake and Ross deceptively and fraudulently misrepresent, as does Stake itself, that Stake is a social casino and not a real one … and they also fraudulently and deceptively misrepresent that they only gamble with their own money.”
Killham seeks “recovery of gambling losses” for himself and others allegedly harmed by Stake’s operations.
The complaint also details how Stake allegedly skirts Missouri law. It claims that the company disguises real-money gambling by selling “Gold Coins” for casual gameplay while bundling them with “Stake Cash” as a “free bonus.” Unlike Gold Coins, Stake Cash can be wagered on casino games and cashed out at a 1:1 ratio with the U.S. dollar, effectively turning it into a form of real-money gambling.
The suit argues that this setup allows Stake to “operate an unlicensed and illegal online casino in Missouri.”
A spokesperson for Stake told SiGMA News the company denies all allegations and maintains it has not been officially served with the 34-page complaint. “We reject allegations that have been made in the media in relation to this potential claim and will vigorously defend this and all such claims,” the spokesperson said.
