Drake Caught In Gambling Scandal: Lawsuit Claims Scheme To Inflate Streams

Rapper Drake is facing a lawsuit in Missouri that claims his business relationship with the online gambling platform Stake.com involved a scheme to artificially inflate streaming numbers. A legal allegation that has attracted attention in both music and gaming circles.

The lawsuit was filed on Oct. 28 in Missouri state court by a plaintiff who alleges that Drake and Stake engaged in “an unlawful gambling promotional scheme” tied to the rapper’s music streams. The suit asserts that the promotion was structured in a way that encouraged users to place bets tied to Drake’s chart performance and streaming usage, and that this crossed legal lines under Missouri law.

According to legal filings reviewed by Sigma News, the complaint centers on a promotional campaign involving Stake and Drake that allegedly leveraged financial incentives tied to the performance of Drake’s music on streaming platforms. The suit contends that the promotion effectively gamified listening behavior in a way that constituted an unauthorized betting operation.

Representatives for Drake, whose legal name is Aubrey Drake Graham, have not publicly commented on the lawsuit, and there is no record of a court ruling on the matter as of this writing. Stake.com, a major online casino operator with a large global user base, also has not issued an official response to the allegations.

The case joins a string of recent legal challenges facing major artists over streaming practices, royalties, and promotional partnerships, but it is notable for its focus on gambling elements tied to music consumption rather than traditional copyright or contract claims.

Legal experts who have reviewed similar filings say cases that blend digital media and gaming laws can be difficult to prosecute, especially when they involve cross-jurisdictional platforms like Stake and global performers like Drake. As the lawsuit progresses through the Missouri court system, key questions are likely to revolve around how the promotion was structured, whether it meets the legal definition of gambling under state law and what liability, if any, artists and partners may hold.

For fans and industry watchers, the suit underscores the growing scrutiny of how music marketing intersects with third-party platforms, particularly those with significant financial stakes. It also raises broader questions about how technology, entertainment and gaming overlap in the digital age.