New Mexico suit alleges Drake, Adin Ross, and Stake.us ran illegal online casino
In a new class action filed in the Second Judicial District Court of New Mexico, two plaintiffs on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated have accused Sweepsteaks Limited, online influencer Adin Ross, and musician Drake (Aubrey Drake Graham) of operating an illegal online casino scheme marketed to New Mexico residents.
The complaint names the defendants and says that Sweepstakes Limited “conducts online casino gambling in open violation of New Mexico state gaming and consumer protection laws.” It also claims that the platform Stake.us is “a virtual clone of Stake.com,” rebranded to make bettors believe it offers harmless gameplay instead of an unlawful gambling platform.
BREAKING: Drake has been sued for a 2nd time this week for his role in promoting the online sweepstakes casino website https://t.co/ZWPLa9Xell. The class action lawsuit — filed in New Mexico state court — seeks to hold Drake personally liable for class members' gambling losses. pic.twitter.com/1yR71xUFn3
— Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) October 30, 2025
According to the filing, “Stake us is a platform marketed to New Mexicans as a so-called ‘social casino’ that does not permit real gambling.”
New Mexico lawsuit against Drake, Adin Ross, and Stake.us follows MissouriIn a related lawsuit filed in Missouri, a plaintiff claims that Stake.us, Drake, and Ross operated an illegal online casino aimed at people in the state. As we reported earlier about the Missouri complaint, “Stake.us is a virtual clone of Stake.com, rebranded to mislead Missouri regulators and consumers into believing it offers harmless gameplay instead of an unlawful gambling platform.”
The Missouri filing also says the influencers “often do not do so with their own money despite telling the public in Missouri and elsewhere the opposite.” The plaintiff argues that Stake “flooded social media platforms in Missouri and elsewhere with slick ads, influencer videos and flashy visuals” designed to make the games seem safe and harmless.
The complaint asks for the return of gambling losses, punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, and a court order to stop the alleged conduct.
According to the earlier court document, the company uses a dual currency system. Customers are told that Gold Coins “have no real-world value, and can never be cashed out” but each purchase includes a nearly dollar-equivalent amount of Stake Cash that “can be wagered on casino games and cashed out for real money at a fixed 1:1 ratio to the U.S. Dollar.” The complaint says the “true purpose of these transactions” is “to sell Stake Cash” rather than the Gold Coins that are advertised.
Because of these features, the filing argues that Stake.us “should be considered an illegal gambling device under Missouri law” in the Missouri case, and similar claims are being made in New Mexico.
Reaction from Adin RossRoss reacted publicly to the class action allegations during a recent livestream. He told viewers: “Read through the case yourself. It’s f**ing bullsh*t.” When someone asked him directly about the claims, he repeated: “It’s bullsh*t.” He also said there was “nothing to talk about” and encouraged people to read the documents on their own.
Warning: strong language.
— x_x (@rebootjays) October 29, 2025
As of this reporting, Drake had not responded directly to the allegations. A spokesperson for Stake.us said, “We have not been served at this time … We reject allegations that have been made in the media in relation to this potential claim and will vigorously defend this and all such claims.”
The New Mexico complaint asks the court to approve a class that includes all New Mexico residents who gambled and lost money on Stake.us during the five years before the lawsuit was filed.
Stake.us has not responded to ReadWrite’s request for comment.
Featured image: Adin Ross via YouTube / Stake.us / Grok
The post New Mexico suit alleges Drake, Adin Ross, and Stake.us ran illegal online casino appeared first on ReadWrite.