Looks like Drake’s hit a rough patch; a new lawsuit claims he’s been playing fast and loose with streaming numbers through a gambling site.
Drake finds himself at the center of a legal storm as a new lawsuit accuses him of employing online casino platform Stake.us to artificially inflate his music streams on major platforms like Spotify. The lawsuit was initiated on December 31, 2025, by the Impresa Legal Group, representing two plaintiffs, LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines, who are users of the Stake platform.
The complaint alleges that Drake, in collaboration with streamer Adin Ross, George Nguyen, and Stake operator Sweepsteaks Ltd., exploited the platform’s “Tipping” feature to hide payments made to bot operators responsible for generating fake streams of his songs.
The lawsuit states, “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 document goes on to assert that these inauthentic streams mislead royalty calculations and recommendations, distort playlists, and ultimately damage the chances of genuine artists while skewing consumer access to real content.
Notably, the lawsuit mentions that Drake has publicly acknowledged receiving an impressive $100 million annually to promote Stake. The platform’s website touts Drake as a long-time member of the Stake community, highlighting his engagement in the VIP program and the perks that come with it.
Furthermore, the complaint elaborates on how Drake allegedly used his affiliation with Stake to channel payments through the platform, which were then allegedly used to boost streaming counts for his discography. It identifies Nguyen, known as “Grand Wizard” in online spaces, as a key player in coordinating “botting facilitation and paid amplification” on U.S. facing platforms.
In a related development, rapper RBX filed a class-action lawsuit against Spotify in November, accusing the streaming platform of failing to curb fraudulent streaming activities that financially harm legitimate artists. RBX has pointed to Drake, the most streamed artist of all time, as a major contributor to these inauthentic streams, claiming that about 37 billion of his streams between January 2022 and September 2025 may have been manipulated.
Financial records indicate that Drake transferred significant amounts to Ross on Stake, including a $100,000 Tipping transfer in 2023. In December 2024, he reportedly collaborated with Ross for a “Drizzmas Giveaway,” where he gave away large sums and recently, he announced plans to donate 10% of his betting wins on Stake to a lucky fan. Days prior to the filing of the lawsuit, it was reported that Drake gifted a $220,000 car to Ross.
The lawsuit also critiques Stake, suggesting it falsely portrays itself as a “social casino” that offers a “safe and free gambling experience,” when in reality it operates as an illegal online gambling platform. It claims that Stake exploits consumers across the nation, luring them into real money gambling while jeopardizing their financial well-being and promoting potential gambling addictions. Each plaintiff claims that their continued participation was significantly influenced by Drake’s promotional activities on the platform.