Drake may be working on his highly anticipated new solo album ICEMAN, but he has some legal trouble to deal with along the way. He, Kick streamer Adin Ross, and the online gambling platform Stake have reportedly been hit with another class action lawsuit (specifically a federal RICO this time around) for alleged illegal gambling promotions.
According to Loren LoRosa on Twitter, the lawsuit alleges that the codefendants (along with George Nguyen) have been using Stake's "tipping" feature to give each other money. The RICO accuses them of using that money to artificially boost Drizzy's music streams across major distribution platforms and digital streaming services.
"In addition, through Stake’s Tipping function, Defendants have financed their combined artificial streaming (“botting”) to create fraudulent streams of Drake’s music; fabricate popularity; disparage competitors and music label executives; distort recommendation algorithms; and distribute financing for all of the foregoing, while concealing the flow of funds," two plaintiffs reportedly alleged in the filing.
Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that the Toronto superstar knowingly and willingly allowed for his alleged coconspirators to mask encrypted transfers as "giveaways" widely unavailable to the public. In addition, it alleges one $100K tip transfer between Ross and the 6ix God in 2023. It also brought up Drake's 2024 "Drizzmas" giveaway stream with Adin Ross as an example of the codefendants allegedly cycling through tips among themselves to fuel botting and paid engagement tactics.
Drake & Stake's Lawsuit
Not only that, but the lawsuit reportedly mentioned a $220K car that Stake allegedly gifted to Ross days before this New Year's Eve filing. LoRosa stated that she reached out to The Boy's team for comment and hasn't received a response as of writing this article.
The lawsuit appeared in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, according to Casino Beats. It accuses the codefendants of promoting an illegal gambling operation and seeks $5 million in damages. The report also identifies the plaintiffs as allegedly being LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines, or "Stake.us users within the United States" in the filing.
Drake received similar lawsuits last year in New Mexico and in Missouri. He did a stream giving away part of his Stake earning mere days ago.
