At a Glance
- Drake sued in a federal RICO case for manipulating music streams
- Alleged use of bots and Stake.us transfer features to hide money
- Lawsuits also target illegal online gambling promotion in Missouri and New Mexico
- Why it matters: It could reshape streaming integrity and online gambling regulation
Drake faces a federal RICO lawsuit alleging he used bots and streaming farms to inflate his music plays and hid the money on the online casino Stake.us. The case, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on behalf of two Virginia residents, also accuses him of promoting illegal gambling. The allegations involve Adin Ross and Australian facilitator George Nguyen, and they could have wide-reaching legal consequences.
Federal RICO Lawsuit
The lawsuit claims that Drake, acting directly and with co-conspirators, deployed automated bots to boost his songs on major platforms such as Spotify. It further alleges that the trio used Stake.us’s internal transfer features to conceal how the fraud was financed. No criminal charges have yet been filed.
- Automated bots and streaming farms used to inflate play counts
- Stake.us user-to-user tipping used as unregulated money transmitter
- Money moved between cryptocurrency and cash via Nguyen
Stake.us and Gambling Allegations
Stake.us is described as a U.S. storefront for Stake.com designed to bypass federal and Virginia gambling regulations. Separate lawsuits were filed in Missouri on Oct. 27, 2025, and in New Mexico on Oct. 29, 2025, accusing the parties of promoting illegal online gambling in those states. The Missouri case is set to go to trial on March 20.
| Date | State | Court |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 27, 2025 | Missouri | Jackson County Circuit Court |
| Oct. 29, 2025 | New Mexico | 2nd Judicial District Court |
| Wed. (date not specified) | Virginia | U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia |
Stake denied the allegations in a spokesperson statement.
Public Reactions
Stake’s spokesperson denied the claims, while Adin Ross dismissed the lawsuits online as “f—–g bull—t.”
Adin Ross stated:
> “f—–g bull—t.”
Key Takeaways
- Drake and co-conspirators face a federal RICO lawsuit over stream manipulation.
- Stake.us’s transfer features were used to hide money movements.
- Illegal gambling promotion lawsuits in Missouri and New Mexico are pending.
The case highlights the intersection of entertainment, technology, and gambling law, and its outcome could influence future regulatory enforcement.
