Chavdar Vasilev is a journalist covering the casino and sports betting market sectors for CasinoBeats. He joined CasinoBeats in May 2025 and reports on industry-shaping stories across the US and beyond, including legislative debates, market...
Read Full BioDrake faces a second lawsuit for his involvement with sweepstakes casino Stake.us after two New Mexico residents filed a class-action lawsuit on October 29.
The complaint mirrors another one filed in Missouri just two days before. Both claim the platform operates an illegal online casino disguised as a “social casino.”
The Allegations
According to the complaint first shared by gaming attorney Daniel Wallach via X post, Sweepsteaks Ltd, the operator of Stake.us, “operates the world’s most popular and profitable online casino, Stake.com.” It launched Stake.us to bypass US state restrictions on online casino gambling.
The filing states that the platform markets itself as a “social casino” that does not permit real gambling. However, in reality, it’s a “virtual clone” of Stake.com, employing a dual-token system in which “Gold Coins” (non-redeemable) purchases award bonus of “Stake Cash” (redeemable at a 1:1 USD rate).
The complaint further names Drake and influencer Adin Ross. It alleges they were each paid “millions of dollars yearly” to livestream gambling on Stake. That way, they normalize gambling behavior and draw younger audiences. The earlier Missouri filing noted similar allegations.
Expansion of Multi-State Litigation
This New Mexico case is the latest in a growing wave of lawsuits targeting Stake.us and other sweepstakes casinos. Wallach estimates that there are over 80 active suits against the unregulated platforms.
As one of the most popular platforms, Stake.us faces multiple lawsuits. That includes one by the Los Angeles City Attorney, which alleges that it is violating California’s gambling and consumer protection laws. Other states where it faces suits include Alabama and Illinois.
VGW, the parent company of social sweepstakes platforms Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker, faces over a dozen lawsuits in various states. They include Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Montana.
High 5 Casino is another “popular” defendant. The platform faces suits in multiple states, including California, Alabama, New Jersey, and Ohio.
Influencer & Celebrity Risk Beyond Stake.us
Drake and Ross are not the first celebrities or influencers to face legal action for their involvement with sweepstakes casinos.
In August, a class-action suit against VGW also named Brian Christopher as a defendant. Christopher is one of the most popular slot influencers on YouTube. His channel has over 750,000 subscribers.
Also in California, a lawsuit in May against VGW named TV host Ryan Seacrest as a defendant for promoting Chumba Casino.
With Drake and Ross now named, influencer liability is coming into sharper focus. Other celebrity deals already link Michael Phelps with Global Poker, Paris Hilton with WOW Vegas, and John Daly and Bruce Buffer with Modo Casino. These deals suggest more lawsuits may follow.
