Drake, Adin Ross & DJ Akademiks Hit With Gambling Suit For "Inflicting Harm"

BY Gabriel Bras Nevares
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Drake Adin Ross DJ Akademiks Gambling Lawsuit Inflicting Harm
Nov 23, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Recording artist Drake (white coat) sits courtside during a game between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
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This New Jersey lawsuit makes similar claims against Drake, Stake, and Adin Ross as previous lawsuits, with this one roping DJ Akademiks in.

Drake may be gearing up for his new album ICEMAN, but he also has some legal trouble to handle. Following previous lawsuits against him for his Stake involvement, he, the gambling plaftorm, Adin Ross, and DJ Akademiks are the targets of a new illegal gambling and racketeering lawsuit in New Jersey.

According to court documents from Wednesday (April 22) reportedly obtained by Complex, Jason Nufio of Roselle, NJ filed a lawsuit accusing Stake of violating state gambling regulations. The legal filing also accuses Drizzy, Ross, and Akademiks using their celebrity platforms to promote the company while hiding their deals with them, thus leading Nufio and others to lose money on the platform.

In addition, the lawsuit claims Stake is being used as a financial scheme to artificially inflate the 6ix God's streaming numbers. It specifically accuses Ak of "knowingly and directly [assisting] Drake’s inflation of his streaming numbers through bot networks by publishing and promoting information that he knew to be false." Also, it claims he received payment through the gambling site's tipping feature.

Per the lawsuit, Jason Nufio accused Stake ads of "[concealing] the fact that Drake and Ross faced no genuine financial risk, while ordinary consumers who followed their lead and placed similar wages stood to lose real money... They have inflicted harm on consumers across the State who have lost real money chasing gambling wins on the Stake platform." The lawsuit also claims Stake's virtual "gold coins" currency is "a fig leaf to superficially avoid the appearance of illegal gambling and afford Stake a veneer of deniability."

Drake's Stake Lawsuits

Jan 14, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Canadian rapper Drake attends the game between the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks at FTX
Jan 14, 2022; Miami, Florida, USA; Canadian rapper Drake attends the game between the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks at FTX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

This lawsuit follows legislation in New Jersey from August of 2025 making it illegal to join a sweepstakes casino or participate in it in the state. Nufio seeks recovery of his significant gambling losses and other damages. It's a similar legal pursuit to Drake and Adin Ross' other Stake lawsuits in New Mexico, Missouri, and Virginia.

Previously, all parties involved have denied these allegations. As such, we will see how this latest lawsuit plays out in court among the others. This legal battle also follows other Drake-related Stake accusations, specifically a claim that he wins an unrealistic amount of games on the platform.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.

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