Drake and Adin Ross Named in Missouri Class-Action Over Alleged Online Casino Deception
A new class-action lawsuit was filed Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court against Grammy-winning artist Drake, social-media star Adin Ross, and the online casino platform Stake.us, alleging that these parties collaborated in the design and promotion of a “deceptive” gambling scheme marketed to Missouri consumers.
According to a 34-page complaint, the plaintiff, Justin Killham of Missouri, claims that Drake, Ross, and Stake.us engaged in “unjust enrichment” by presenting the site as a harmless social-casino experience, while in reality claiming it operated as an unlawful real-money gambling platform.
The filing states that Stake.us created a dual-currency system whereby users receive “gold coins” (purportedly non-redeemable) alongside a second token called “Stake Cash.” The latter, the complaint says, can be wagered in casino-style games and ultimately cashed out for real money. That system, the suit argues, “is a clear vehicle for real-money gambling”.
Killham’s complaint accuses the defendants of “deceptive, fraudulent and unfair” practices under Missouri law, asserting that Missouri consumers have suffered “real-life gambling losses” as a result of the platform’s operations. It further contends that the platform’s marketing targeted “younger consumers” and those “prone to gambling addiction.”
The suit highlights social-media and livestream promotions by Drake and Ross, through which they endorsed Stake.us. It claims that, in many cases, these personalities did not gamble using their own funds despite publicly conveying that they were doing so, a practice the complaint describes as “deeply fraudulent.”
In a conspicuous promotional post made days after Drake’s 39th birthday (Oct. 24), the artist posted a video of himself traversing a mansion and reacting to a displayed $1 million Stake.com balance, captioned: “Money in the vault???????????? @stake are you trying to tell me we’re back?” The lawsuit points to this as part of the broader influencer marketing push tied to Missouri users and elsewhere.
The platform’s dual-token model is already under scrutiny. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill addressing such structures, which critics say allow real-money wagering to masquerade as social gaming. Killham’s complaint asserts that Stake.us “inflicted severe harm on the vulnerable in Missouri”, particularly individuals vulnerable to addiction, and by doing so drove Drake and Ross’s affiliated enrichment.
As of Tuesday, representatives for Drake, Ross, and Stake.us had not provided public comment in response to the lawsuit. The legal action marks yet another front in the rising regulatory and legal concerns facing online gambling platforms and high-profile influencer endorsements.
The complaint seeks class certification, demanding relief not only for the named plaintiff but for similarly situated Missouri consumers, as well as remedies under Missouri’s consumer-protection statutes. Legal observers say the case may hinge on the exact nature of how Stake.us defines “free play” tokens, whether those tokens function essentially as cash, and how prominently the promotions misled viewers.
For Drake, a cultural icon whose brand spans music, fashion, and social media, and for Ross, whose livestreaming persona targets younger audiences, this lawsuit raises key questions: to what extent should celebrity endorsers be held accountable for the downstream effects of the products they promote? And how will states regulate platforms that blur the line between “social casino” and online gambling?
If successful, the case could shape the broadcaster-influencer arena of gaming promotion and signal greater regulatory scrutiny on token-based wagering systems. For the consumer class, it proposes recourse to damages for alleged deceptive practices that may have caused psychological and financial harm.
The Missouri class-action makes clear that online gambling promotion, influencer marketing, and consumer-protection law are increasingly colliding. As this case proceeds, it will serve as a barometer for how legal systems treat celebrity endorsements in the digital-casino epoch and whether brands, platforms, and influencers must bear responsibility when “free” tokens turn into real-money losses.
