Crypto gaming operator Stake.com and its US platform Stake.us are facing yet another legal challenge, this time in New Mexico, as plaintiffs accuse the company and celebrity promoters Drake and Adin Ross of operating an illegal online casino disguised as a “social casino.”
Stake.com’s creator, Sweepsteaks Limited, is named as a defendant in the class action lawsuit, which was submitted on 29 October to the Second Judicial District Court of Bernalillo County. Adin Ross and Aubrey “Drake” Graham have also been named. The plaintiffs, Nathaniel Torres and Rory Michie, filed the case on behalf of others “similarly situated,” alleging that Stake has been conducting unlawful gambling activities in violation of New Mexico’s state gaming and consumer protection laws.
The New Mexico action marks the second lawsuit in less than a week naming Drake and Ross as defendants. It follows a Missouri class action filed earlier this week in the Circuit Court of Jackson County, where Stake is accused of using its US site, Stake.us, to bypass state gambling bans through digital token mechanics.
The class action complaint filed in the Second Judicial District Court of New Mexico accuses Sweepsteaks Limited, the company behind Stake.com, along with Ross and Drake, of illegally operating online casino gambling in violation of New Mexico’s gaming and consumer protection laws. Gaming law specialist Daniel Wallach first reported the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims that while Stake.com runs one of the world’s most profitable online casinos globally, it is barred from operating in the US, including New Mexico. To bypass these restrictions, the company allegedly created Stake.us, a so-called “social casino” that markets itself as not involving real gambling, but in reality, plaintiffs argue, it functions as a “virtual clone” of Stake.com, enabling unlawful gambling activity disguised as free-to-play gaming.
In a statement to SiGMA News, a Stake spokesperson clarified the company’s position on the Missouri lawsuit, confirming that it has not yet received any formal notice.
Both lawsuits highlight Drake’s role as a major face of Stake’s global marketing campaign. The rapper, who reportedly signed a $100 million partnership deal with the platform, has livestreamed multiple high-stakes betting sessions, including a $1.25 million Bitcoin wager during the 2022 Super Bowl and a ₹6.41 crore ($769,200) bet on Royal Challengers Bengaluru during the IPL 2025 final, which earned him ₹11 crore ($1.3 million) in winnings.
The Missouri lawsuit alleged that such sessions are promotional stunts funded by Stake using “house money”, rather than Drake’s own funds, effectively turning his high-profile gambling activity into marketing content aimed at younger audiences. The New Mexico complaint further accuses Stake of glamourising online gambling and targeting underage or vulnerable users through influencer-driven promotions.
The New Mexico filing adds to Stake’s expanding list of legal battles across the United States. In 2025 alone, the company has faced lawsuits in California, Illinois, Alabama, Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Minnesota, largely focused on the alleged misclassification of Stake.us as a social casino.
Earlier this year, Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto filed a civil enforcement action accusing Stake.us of running an illegal online gambling operation in violation of California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) and False Advertising Law (FAL). Drake was not named in that case.
Stake.com reported $4.7 billion in revenue in 2024 and handles over $219 billion in Bitcoin transactions annually, making it one of the world’s largest crypto casinos. But its rapid rise has drawn increasing regulatory attention in the US, where online casino gambling remains banned in many states, including New Mexico and Missouri.
SiGMA News has reached out to Stake for a comment. As of now, neither Drake nor Adin Ross has issued a public response to the New Mexico lawsuit.
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