Courts and Crime

New class-action lawsuit alleges a racketeering conspiracy that preyed on consumers

A new class-action lawsuit filed by two consumers in Virginia accuses music superstar Drake, streamer Adin Ross, and a third man based in Australia of luring users into real-money gambling on the casino platform Stake.us as part of a racketeering conspiracy that allegedly used proceeds to “artificially inflate streaming counts for Drake’s catalog.”

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Virginia, claims the three men worked with Stake to “prey upon consumers,” unlawfully expose them to the “substantial risks of gambling addiction,” and jeopardize their financial well-being. The plaintiffs say they were “influenced to participate” in Stake’s “predatorial gambling environment” after viewing Drake’s paid promotion of the site, including live-streamed gambling sessions and giveaways.

According to the complaint, Drake, Ross, and the Australian national, identified as George Nguyen, acted as “zealous promoters” of Stake in exchange for payment and access to the platform, which the lawsuit describes as a covert “money transfer conduit.” (Stake, which is owned by Sweepsteaks Ltd. in Cyprus and operates Stake.us from offices in Dallas, Ross, and Nguyen did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A representative for Drake declined to comment.)

The lawsuit, filed by LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines, alleges the three men used Stake’s user-to-user “tipping” feature to directly transfer money among themselves. The complaint characterizes the program as “an unlimited and wholly unregulated money transmitter that appears to exist outside the oversight of any financial regulator.” It further alleges the funds were later used to finance fraudulent streams of Drake’s music and “amplification campaigns” that at times targeted competitors with disparaging content.

“At the heart of the scheme, Drake — acting directly and through willing and knowledgeable co-conspirators — has deployed automated bots and streaming farms to artificially inflate play counts of his music across major platforms, such as Spotify,” the complaint alleges, echoing claims made in a recent lawsuit against Spotify. “This manipulation has suppressed authentic artists and narrowed consumers’ access to legitimate content by undermining the integrity of curated experiences.”

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Nguyen is identified in the complaint as the owner of the Instagram news-clipping account @grandwizardchatn***a. The lawsuit alleges he served as a “broker and operational facilitator,” receiving cryptocurrency through Stake channels as part of the alleged conspiracy and then “interfacing with bot vendors, supervising coordinated amplification strategies, and integrating paid ‘clipping’ campaigns” on social media platforms including X, formerly Twitter.

The filing claims public posts, chat logs, and leaked communications document Nguyen’s “direct handling of funds through multiple payment platforms, orchestration of narrative surges, and amplification” alongside Drake and Ross. It alleges the scheme dates back to 2022 and “remains an ongoing and imminent threat of racketeering activity.”

“Plaintiffs have been damaged by the false marketing manipulation and abuses of defendants Drake, Ross, and Nguyen, who participate in the marketing of Stake,” the complaint states. It adds that the plaintiffs were “manipulated into signing onto and transacting on Stake.us based upon defendants’ representations.”

The lawsuit seeks to represent Virginia residents who lost one or more wagers using Stake Cash within the last three years. It includes claims that the defendants violated the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, engaged in a racketeering conspiracy, and carried out a pattern of racketeering activity in violation of the federal RICO statute.

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The lawsuit is not the first to target Drake, 39, and Ross, 25, over their ties to Stake. Last October, a Missouri man filed a similar proposed class action against the men and Sweepsteaks Limited. A lawyer representing all three defendants successfully moved that case from Missouri state court to federal court last month. (The lawyer did not respond to a request for comment sent Thursday.)

The Missouri and Virginia lawsuits both allege Stake.us uses an unlawful, dual-currency system that bundles virtual, purportedly non-redeemable “gold coins” with a second type of token, called “Stake Cash,” that can be cashed out for real money. This type of dual-currency model is considered a loophole by critics and has faced backlash from legislators. California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last year to address the problem.