Bloomberg recently released a survey questioning the gambling outcomes of rapper Drake at the cryptocurrency casino Stake. After reviewing a large amount of live streaming videos, the media concluded that Drake's high winning rates in certain games far exceed those of ordinary players. Stake refuted these findings, calling them "completely inaccurate." Meanwhile, legal actions against the company and some of its celebrity promoters are still advancing in multiple states across the US. Simply put, it is suspected that Drake, due to his celebrity status, was "specially taken care of" at Stake, with winning probabilities several times higher than ordinary people.
1500 hours of video analysis: Drake's "big win" frequency is 4 times that of ordinary people
Bloomberg Businessweek studied approximately 1500 hours of live streaming videos on the Kick platform, focusing on Drake, Adin Ross, and three other high-impact influencers, analyzing about 500 hours of slot machine gameplay, and using software to track balances, bets, and outcomes, manually verifying over 600 significant wins. The investigation focused on "big wins" (defined as winnings at least 1000 times the bet amount). The results showed that Drake's frequency of "big wins" on slot games operated by Stake's parent company Easygo Entertainment is about 4 times that of the average player. Data shows that he encounters such a win approximately every 2500 spins, while others occur about every 10000 spins. In contrast, when Drake plays slot machines from third-party providers, the results align with the normal average. In a live stream in August, Drake started with $3.5 million in Bitcoin, and within an hour of switching to Easygo games, he recorded four significant wins, including two $800,000 payouts.
Stake refutes allegations, entangled in multi-state class actions
Stake strongly responded to the report, stating its conclusions are "completely wrong," arguing that "big wins" are arbitrary indicators, and comparing different game win rates "ignores the mathematical principles of the games." Stake co-founder Ed Craven had previously denied sponsoring influencers to receive favorable odds, emphasizing that all players' odds are the same, controlled by third parties. During this investigation, Stake, Drake, and Adin Ross are facing several class actions. A case in Missouri accuses their live streams of portraying rare wins as commonplace, exploiting players' cognitive biases. A lawsuit in California accuses the defendants of playing a significant role in "the largest and most profitable illegal gambling operation in California history." Another lawsuit in Virginia accuses Stake of operating as a large illegal online casino since at least 2022. Stake has denied the allegations, and Drake's side has not commented.
The rise of cryptocurrency casinos: Influencer strategy boosts, regulatory encirclement
Stake, headquartered in Australia and registered in Curaçao, has its main site and affiliated domains visited at least 127 million times per month, processing about 10 billion bets per month, accounting for about 4% of the annual Bitcoin transactions. In 2024, Stake's revenue after deducting payouts reached $4.7 billion, an 80% increase from 2022. The associated live streaming platform Kick plays a significant role in this growth, with influencers often sharing promotional links and codes during live streams. Reportedly, some hosts receive benefits such as cryptocurrency wallet top-ups through marketing agreements. Critics believe that these video clips, widely spread on social media, may affect viewers' perception of gambling risks. Countries including the UK, France, and Ukraine have ordered ISPs to block Stake. In the US, several states have enacted or are considering measures against lottery-style cryptocurrency casinos, with the Governor of New York signing an anti-lottery casino bill last December.
Although Drake's sports betting results are mixed, Bloomberg's analysis indicates that his performance on Easygo games' slot machines is statistically significant. Stake insists that all players have the same odds, while courts in multiple countries will begin to weigh legal claims surrounding these games and their marketing methods.
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