Drake’s in hot water with a new RICO lawsuit claiming he’s rigged his streaming numbers through an online casino. This one could shake up the industry.
Drake is under legal scrutiny as a lawsuit has been filed against him concerning allegations of manipulating music streaming through the online gambling platform, Stake.us. The lawsuit, submitted on December 31, 2025, by the Impresa Legal Group, represents plaintiffs LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines, both users of the Stake platform.
The complaint accuses Drake, along with fellow streamer Adin Ross, George Nguyen, and the company operating Stake, of utilizing the platform’s tipping feature to disguise payments to bot operators. These operators, as alleged, were responsible for generating artificial streams for Drake’s music on major platforms like Spotify.
According to the lawsuit, “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.” This manipulation, it is claimed, misleads royalty systems, distorts music charts, and diverts attention from genuine artists.
The lawsuit points out that Drake has publicly stated he receives around $100 million a year to promote Stake. Stake’s website boasts of its partnership with Drake, indicating that he’s a valued member of its VIP program.
In addition, the filing claims that Drake used his connection with Stake to funnel funds through the platform, subsequently inflating his streaming numbers. George Nguyen, who is noted in online platforms as “Grand Wizard,” is identified in the lawsuit as orchestrating the botting activities and payments masked through Stake.
There’s also a backdrop of a separate class-action lawsuit filed by rapper RBX against Spotify. That case alleges that Spotify has failed to combat widespread fraudulent streaming that has financially hurt legitimate artists. RBX specifically calls out Drake, stating that he is the most streamed artist on the service.
RBX’s lawsuit estimates that roughly 37 billion streams attributed to Drake from January 2022 to September 2025 were inauthentic, suggesting a wide network of bot accounts at play. Recent public records show financial transactions between Drake and Ross on Stake, including a $100,000 tipping transfer in 2023 and a notable $220,000 car gift from Drake to Ross just before the lawsuit was filed.
Drake’s recent announcements, including a plan to give away 10% of his gambling winnings to a fan, have also attracted attention. He tried to generate excitement on social media for the giveaway, which he promoted on his Instagram account.
The lawsuit goes further to allege that Stake misrepresents itself as a “social casino” offering a safe gambling experience, while actually functioning as an illegal gambling entity. The complaint highlights that Stake.us exploits consumers in Virginia and beyond, drawing them into real money gambling which poses serious risks, including gambling addiction.