Canadian rapper Drake and American online streamer Adin Ross have been named in a Virginia class-action lawsuit against a sweepstakes casino platform. The suit alleged a racketeering conspiracy that used proceeds to “artificially inflate streaming counts for Drake’s catalog.”
The lawsuit alleges Drake and Ross’s promotion of the Stake.US online casino platform amounted to preying on customers and putting them at risk of “substantial risks of gambling addiction.” The plaintiffs allege the risks came from viewing the pair’s streams and giveaways as well as their direct promotion of the site, according to Rolling Stone.
Per legal filing, Drake and Ross were “zealous promoters” who were paid by the platform’s owner, Sweepsteaks Ltd.. The company is based in Cyprus and runs the Stake.us sweepstakes gaming platform in Dallas.
Lawsuit Also Accuses Drake Of Inflating Music Play Counts
Beyond the gambling-related allegations, the plaintiffs allege that money earned from the company was used by the 39-year-old rapper to fund fraudulent streams of his music. That includes “amplification campaigns,” 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,” the suit claims. “This manipulation has suppressed authentic artists and narrowed consumers’ access to legitimate content by undermining the integrity of curated experiences.”
The lawsuit cites alleged violations of the Virginia Consumer Protection Act as well as the federal RICO statute. Neither Drake nor Ross have commented on the lawsuit.
Drake has been known for gambling on Stake, which he represents. That included recently giving away 10% of his winnings during three days of streaming.
Sweepstakes Casino Crackdown
Stake also faces a lawsuit in California. Drake and Ross were also named in a similar lawsuit in Missouri in October.
Sweepstakes casinos have faced a continued backlash from lawmakers and gaming regulators around the country. Tennessee became the latest to see a bill put forward to ban the platforms.
Earlier in December, Maine and Indiana became the latest states to introduce legislation prohibiting their operation. A Florida lawmaker has also introduced a bill to ban them in that state after a similar effort failed earlier in the year.
Several other states have also made the platforms illegal. California passed a ban in October. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed legislation to ban sweeps into law in August. New York has also recently banned sweeps.
