A class action lawsuit filed in Missouri federal court alleges that Stake.us is an illegal online casino promoted by celebrities Drake and Adin Ross.
Start Your Free Case Review →The Stake.us lawsuit — Killham v. Sweepsteaks Limited, Adin Ross, and Aubrey Drake Graham, Case No. 4:25-cv-00990-DGK — is a class action case pending in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. It alleges that Stake.us, which markets itself as a harmless “social gaming” platform, is in fact an illegal online casino that has extracted real money from Missouri residents while hiding behind sweepstakes labeling. The case names three defendants: the Cyprus-based operator of the site, and two celebrities — streaming personality Adin Ross and recording artist Drake — who are alleged to have promoted the platform to millions of followers without adequate disclosure.
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The Stake.us lawsuit was originally filed in October 2025 in Jackson County Circuit Court. Defendant Sweepsteaks Limited — the Cyprus-registered company that operates Stake.us from Australia — removed the case to federal court in December 2025. It is now before Judge David G. Kays in the Western District of Missouri.
At its core, the case presents a straightforward argument: Stake.us is an online casino. The “sweepstakes” label it uses is a legal fiction designed to allow the platform to operate in states like Missouri where real-money online gambling is not authorized. The lawsuit contends that the platform’s mechanics — the way money flows in, the way prizes flow out, and the house advantage built into every game — are functionally indistinguishable from illegal gambling under Missouri law, regardless of what the company calls it.
The complaint brings claims against not just the operator, but two of its most prominent promoters: Adin Ross and Drake, whose massive social media and streaming audiences made them valuable partners in extending the platform’s reach into states across the country.
Stake.us offers a library of casino-style games — slots, table games, live dealer formats — that should be immediately familiar to anyone who has visited a traditional casino or gambling site. The platform uses a two-currency system:
The platform insists users never have to pay to play because Gold Coins can theoretically be obtained for free. In practice, the lawsuit alleges, meaningful participation requires purchasing Gold Coin packages — which come bundled with Stake Cash bonuses. The real prize currency, in other words, is only practically accessible by spending real money.
Missouri law defines gambling in terms of what is actually happening, not what a company chooses to call it. The complaint argues that the costs required to participate meaningfully, the built-in house advantage, and the Stake Cash redemption structure together constitute gambling as a matter of law — making every dollar lost on the platform a potentially recoverable loss under Missouri’s gambling loss recovery statute, R.S.Mo. § 434.030.
Drake and Adin Ross are not peripheral figures in this lawsuit — they are named defendants. The complaint’s theory is that the Stake.us enterprise required not just a platform, but a distribution network: celebrity promoters with the reach to direct millions of followers to a site they could not otherwise advertise through conventional channels.
Adin Ross, one of the most-followed streamers on Twitch and Kick, has promoted Stake.us extensively to a predominantly young audience. Drake, one of the best-selling musicians of all time, has similarly used his social platforms to direct fans to the site. The lawsuit alleges that both celebrities received compensation for these promotions without adequately disclosing the paid nature of their endorsements — a potential violation of FTC disclosure requirements layered on top of the underlying gambling law claims.
The complaint asserts three causes of action, each of which reflects a distinct legal theory for recovery:
For more on how Missouri’s consumer protection laws work in practice, see the Missouri Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.
Carey & Danis LLC has extensive experience litigating online gambling and consumer fraud class actions. See all of our active class action investigations.
The proposed class is defined to include Missouri residents who used Stake.us and lost money on the platform. Based on the complaint, you may have a claim if:
You do not need to have been a heavy user of the platform. Even a single purchase that resulted in a loss may qualify. If you are unsure whether your experience meets the criteria, the best step is to contact us for a free evaluation.
Get a free, no obligation case evaluation here.