Rapper Drake accused in class-action lawsuit of using Stake.us proceeds to inflate music streams

A federal class-action lawsuit filed last Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia accuses rapper Drake of participating in a scheme that allegedly used the online sweepstakes casino Stake.us to artificially boost the streaming numbers of his music across major platforms.

The lawsuit names Drake, whose legal name is Aubrey Drake Graham, along with online influencer Adin Ross and an alleged accomplice, George Nguyen, asserting that the defendants employed automated bots and streaming farms to manipulate play counts.

“At the heart of the scheme, Drake — acting directly and through willing and knowledgeable co-conspirators — has deployed automated bots and streaming farms to artificially inflate play counts of his music across major platforms, such as Spotify,” the complaint states.

According to the filing, the purpose of the alleged activity was to “manufacture popularity” and “distort playlists and charts.” No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the allegations.

The lawsuit also names Stake.us and its parent company, Sweepstakes Limited, as defendants. Stake.us is described in the complaint as a “U.S. storefront for Stake.com” designed to “bypass applicable United States federal and Commonwealth of Virginia gambling regulations.” The suit was brought on behalf of two Virginia residents and all users of Stake.us.

Court papers describe Nguyen as an “Australian national” who allegedly handled financial logistics tied to the scheme. “Nguyen served as a facilitator and operational broker — alternately converting Stake-based cryptocurrency to cash, or receiving cash from Stake transferred cryptocurrency proceeds,” the lawsuit states, adding that he “supervised coordinated amplification strategies.”

The complaint alleges that internal features on the platform, including user-to-user tipping, were used to conceal money flows. The tipping feature is described as “an unlimited and wholly unregulated money transmitter that appears to exist outside the oversight of any financial regulator.”

Drake is a brand ambassador for Stake.us and Stake.com. He signed a promotional agreement with the company in 2022, reportedly worth at least $100 million a year, according to the Financial Times, which cited two people familiar with the deal. The lawsuit was filed as Drake has been preparing to release a new album titled “Iceman.”

The allegations in Virginia follow earlier litigation. Drake, Ross, and others were accused in a lawsuit filed Oct. 27, 2025, in Missouri of promoting an illegal online gambling operation. Online gambling is not legal in Missouri.

“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,” that lawsuit states. The Missouri case is scheduled for trial on March 20.

Drake and Ross are also defendants in a similar lawsuit filed Oct. 29 in New Mexico, which alleges promotion of illegal online gambling in that state, where online gambling is not permitted under the authority of the state’s gaming control board.

The Virginia lawsuit further alleges that proceeds from Stake.us were used to finance “ongoing music botting campaigns,” claiming funds were used to “create fraudulent streams of Drake’s music; fabricate popularity; disparage competitors and music label executives; distort recommendation algorithms; and distribute financing for all of the foregoing, while concealing the flow of funds.”

The filing names LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines as plaintiffs and describes Stake.us as “one of the largest and most profitable illegal online casinos.” It alleges the site marketed itself as a social casino to obscure real-money gambling, despite the use of virtual currencies that the lawsuit claims have real monetary value.