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Adam Roarty is a journalist covering sports betting, regulation, and industry innovation for CasinoBeats. His coverage includes tax increases in the UK, covering breaking stories in the ever-evolving landscape of US betting such as the...
Read Full BioDrake has declared he is done with sports betting, and some fans are urging him to end his promotion of casino games on the online platform Stake.
The Canadian rapper announced on Instagram last week, “I’m off sports betting,” following his $1 million losing Super Bowl bet.
Fans have also urged the 39-year-old to give up casino games, citing his influence over young people. In a post announcing he was giving up sports betting, Drake said he would “stick to what I know,” and the video showed him gambling on roulette at Stake.
One fan wrote in the comments section, “Please stop promoting gambling. You are not just an artist. You are one of the most influential cultural figures in Canada and globally. Millions of young people watch what you do, model what you normalize, and internalize what you associate with success.”
Drake Gambling Promos Attract Attention
Drake’s promotion of Stake has attracted significant attention. The rapper is facing three lawsuits over claims he is encouraging illegal gambling, with one claim also alleging he uses the partnership to inflate his Spotify plays.
The plaintiffs in that lawsuit, LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines, allege that promotions by Drake and other defendants encouraged them and others to engage in unlawful gambling.
His fan on Instagram similarly added that the power Drake holds over fans means he has a responsibility not to lead them astray, adding, “Many of the people who follow you do not have the margin to absorb those losses. Influence carries responsibility. Not legal responsibility. Moral responsibility.”
Rapper Gambling With House Money, Claims Lawsuit
Lawsuits against Drake also allege that he and Adin Ross, who frequently appears with the rapper in videos, are not actually gambling. In Missouri, the complaint states, “When Ross and Drake purport to gamble online with Stake.com, they often do not do so with their own money despite telling the public … the opposite.”
Stake reportedly pays Drake $100 million a year to promote the company, although the relationship has been strained since last year when the rapper called out the company’s owners as snakes.
He also alleged the platform deliberately blocked him from withdrawing funds. The lawsuit in Missouri argues that this could all be for show, and in reality, he is using the company’s money to appear to be gambling.
It also, like the fan on Instagram, claims Drake is glamorizing gambling among young people. The filing adds, “Stake’s influencer marketing, especially through Drake and Ross, is directed, among others, at teenagers in Missouri and in other states.”
Another fan on Instagram commented, “Millions of kids look up to you. Casino money is not the flex. You’re one of the greatest artists of this generation… don’t let quick gambling promo stain that legacy.”
When previously confronted with accusations of being addicted to gambling, Drake said he is “addicted to being signed to the biggest gambling company in the world.”
