If you bought Gold Coin bundles on Stake.us and lost Stake Cash wagers, this proposed class action is the case to watch — but there is no certified class and nothing to claim while the court weighs arbitration and dismissal.
Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet
This article describes a class action complaint. The statements below are unproven allegations. Neither Sweepsteaks Ltd. nor Drake, Adin Ross, or any other defendant has been found liable, there is no certified class, and nothing to claim at this time. This page is informational and is not legal advice.
What Is This About?
A proposed class action in federal court claims that Stake.us — the "sweepstakes casino" affiliated with the Stake gambling brand — is an illegal online casino dressed up as a free-to-play sweepstakes game, and that celebrity promoters including Drake and Adin Ross helped it reach millions of Americans. The case, Ridley v. Sweepsteaks Ltd., No. 1:25-cv-02511, was filed December 31, 2025 in the Eastern District of Virginia and is assigned to Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. A First Amended Complaint filed February 24, 2026 expanded the plaintiff group to eight Stake.us users and added Kick Streaming Pty Ltd. — the streaming platform tied to Stake's founders — as a defendant alongside Sweepsteaks Ltd., Aubrey Drake Graham (Drake), Adin Ross, and internet personality George Nguyen.The amended complaint asserts civil RICO claims and a Virginia Consumer Protection Act claim, and seeks damages of not less than $5 million, treble damages under RICO, restitution, and an injunction. Every claim in it is an allegation — no court has ruled on the merits, and no defendant has admitted wrongdoing.
The Allegations Against Stake.us, Drake and Adin Ross
Stake.us sells bundles of "Gold Coins," a nominal play-money currency, that come packaged with "Stake Cash" — sweepstakes tokens that can be wagered on casino-style games and redeemed for prizes, including cryptocurrency. The complaint alleges this dual-currency structure is a disguise: in the plaintiffs' telling, players are effectively buying and losing real money in a casino that is not licensed to operate in Virginia or most other states. That characterization — an illegal casino — is the complaint's central allegation, and Stake has defended the legality of the sweepstakes model.The celebrity allegations go further than typical endorsement claims. The complaint cites Drake's own public statement that he is paid roughly $100 million a year to promote Stake, and alleges he used the platform's built-in "tipping" feature as a conduit to route funds to Adin Ross and George Nguyen. Ross and Nguyen, the complaint alleges, used Stake-routed money to buy bot and streaming farms that artificially inflated play counts of Drake's music on Spotify and other streaming services. These are allegations from the complaint that mainstream outlets have reported; none of them has been tested in court.
Where the Case Stands
The platform defendants responded on May 6, 2026 with a coordinated set of motions: Sweepsteaks moved to compel arbitration under Stake.us's terms and conditions and separately moved to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction, lack of standing, and failure to state a claim; Kick filed its own motion to dismiss; and the companies jointly moved to strike the class allegations. Judge Brinkema heard argument on all four motions on June 12, 2026 in Alexandria.According to the docket's minute entry from that hearing, the court granted Kick's motion to dismiss and took the other three motions under advisement. As of July 10, 2026, no written ruling on the arbitration motion, Sweepsteaks' dismissal motion, or the class-strike motion had issued — those decisions, expected this summer, will determine whether the case proceeds in court, moves to individual arbitration, or is narrowed before it ever reaches class certification. The arbitration question looms especially large: Stake's terms include a class-action waiver, and an earlier consumer suit against Sweepsteaks in California was compelled to arbitration in 2025.
The Bigger Legal Fight Over Sweepstakes Casinos
Ridley is one front in a widening legal battle over the sweepstakes-casino model and the celebrities who promote it:- A Missouri consumer suit, Killham v. Sweepsteaks Ltd., also names Drake and Adin Ross and was removed to federal court in late 2025.
- The Los Angeles City Attorney filed a civil enforcement action on behalf of the People of California against Stake.us, Kick Streaming, Stake co-founders Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, and more than a dozen game suppliers, seeking an injunction, restitution, and civil penalties.
- A New Mexico class action against Stake, Drake, and Adin Ross is fighting a motion to compel individual arbitration.
- A New Jersey class action filed in April 2026 invokes that state's new sweepstakes-casino ban.
Influencer promotion of gambling products is drawing scrutiny beyond Stake, too — a consumer-group lawsuit alleges Polymarket paid influencers to fake winning bets, and OCA has covered mounting investor losses on celebrity-linked crypto tokens.
What Happens Next
Judge Brinkema's rulings on the under-advisement motions are the next milestone. If arbitration is compelled, the named plaintiffs' claims would likely proceed individually and privately, and the proposed class action would stall; if the motions are denied, the case moves toward discovery and an eventual class-certification fight. Nothing is claimable at this stage — be skeptical of any site or message promising "Stake.us settlement money," because no settlement exists. OCA will update this page when the court rules.Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Stake.us class action against Drake and Adin Ross allege?
The complaint in Ridley v. Sweepsteaks Ltd. alleges that Stake.us — a "sweepstakes casino" that sells Gold Coin bundles that include Stake Cash tokens redeemable for prizes — is in reality an illegal online casino, and that Drake and Adin Ross were paid promoters who lent it legitimacy. It asserts RICO claims and a Virginia Consumer Protection Act claim. All of this is allegation only; no defendant has been found liable and the defendants contest the claims.
Who would the Stake.us class action cover?
As reported, the amended complaint proposes a nationwide class of U.S. residents who created a Stake.us account, bought Gold Coin bundles that included Stake Cash, and lost wagers made with Stake Cash within the last three years, plus a Virginia class of residents who created Stake.us accounts. No class has been certified — the proposed definitions could change or the case could end before certification.
Can I file a claim in the Drake Stake.us lawsuit?
No. There is no settlement, no claim form, and no certified class. The case is at the motions stage — the court is still deciding whether the claims go to arbitration or are dismissed. If a settlement with a claim process is ever reached, this page will be updated.
Was Kick dismissed from the Stake.us class action?
According to the docket's minute entry, Judge Leonie Brinkema granted Kick Streaming's motion to dismiss at a June 12, 2026 hearing, while taking Sweepsteaks' motions — to compel arbitration, to dismiss, and to strike the class allegations — under advisement. The written details of the Kick ruling had not been publicly reported as of July 10, 2026.
Sources
• CourtListener — Ridley v. Sweepsteaks Ltd., 1:25-cv-02511 (E.D. Va.)• NBC News — Drake accused in lawsuit of using gambling platform ties to inflate music play counts
• Rolling Stone — coverage of the complaint's allegations
• NEXT.io — filing details and proposed class definitions
• L.A. City Attorney — enforcement action against the Stake.us enterprise
Free settlement alerts
Get notified when new class actions open to claims
Join thousands of readers who get the latest class action settlements you may qualify for — delivered straight to your inbox.
