Stake, Drake and Adin Ross all Sued in Missouri!
A Missouri resident has filed a class action lawsuit against Stake.us, pulling Drake and Adin Ross into the spotlight alongside the platform’s founders.
The case, filed by Justin Killham, accuses the trio of helping run a “deeply fraudulent scheme designed to skirt gambling laws” while presenting the platform as a harmless social casino.
Killham’s suit names Sweepsteaks Limited, the company operating Stake.us, and claims the setup intentionally mimics a free-to-play game while functioning as a real casino. The filing also calls out Stake co-founders Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, both valued by Forbes at around $2.8 billion each, citing Stake.com’s $4.7 billion in 2024 revenue as evidence of the platform’s massive reach and profitability.
The Core Complaint
At the heart of the case is Stake.us’s dual-currency system. Users buy Gold Coins for entertainment but receive Stake Cash as a side balance that can be wagered and redeemed for crypto. The plaintiff argues this structure is simply real-money gambling in disguise, directly violating Missouri’s gaming and consumer protection laws.
Killham says he lost money believing Stake.us was a legal sweepstakes casino. His lawsuit follows similar actions in Illinois, Alabama, and Los Angeles, including one filed by LA City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, all of which claim Stake.us offers illegal gambling disguised as social play. The Alabama suit also faults the company for failing to verify user age and location, with each case still pending.
Drake and Ross Under Fire
Both Drake and Adin Ross are accused of promoting Stake.us to minors through livestreams and social media campaigns. The complaint alleges that neither celebrity used their own money, and instead playing with house funds and broadcasting staged wins to fuel hype.
One example cited in the filing: Drake’s post showing a $1 million Stake balance to his 142 million Instagram followers, which the plaintiff describes as “illegal promotion of gambling to Missouri residents.”
Drake remains one of the world’s most influential musicians, while Ross — a onetime Twitch streamer — is now a Kick equity holder and one of the biggest names in livestreaming. Together, their reach across Instagram, Kick, and X makes them two of the most powerful promoters in the online gambling space.
Sweepstake Casinos Under Pressure
It’s been a turbulent year for sweepstakes casinos across the United States. Legislators in Montana, Connecticut, New Jersey, and California have already passed laws banning the dual-currency model, while regulators in New York, Delaware, Nevada, Louisiana, and Mississippi have issued cease-and-desist orders using existing laws.
Now, with Stake.us, Drake, and Adin Ross all dragged into a high-profile lawsuit, the pressure on this sector has reached a new peak.
