Drake, Adin Ross and gambling platform Stake are demanding that a New Mexico court toss out a class-action lawsuit accusing them of promoting an illegal online casino.
Drake and Aidn Ross say users didn’t read the fine print and that the dispute belongs in private arbitration, not a public courtroom.
The legal battle stems from two New Mexico residents, Nathaniel Torres and Rory Michie, who claim they were misled into gambling real money on Stake.us, a so-called “social casino” they say mimics the real gambling site Stake.com.
According to their complaint, Stake.us lured users with free-to-play marketing while using two types of in-game coins to simulate real-money gambling.
They argue that Drake and Ross, as high-profile promoters, glamorized risky betting behavior and targeted vulnerable users, including people with gambling issues and young viewers of Ross’s livestreams.
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Lawyers representing Drake and Ross say that before placing any bets, Torres and Michie had to agree to the site’s Terms and Conditions. That agreement, which they accepted again in August 2025 after an update, included a clause requiring “any and all” disputes to be resolved through individual arbitration.
It also waived their right to participate in a class-action lawsuit.
The fine print didn’t just apply to conflicts with the company itself. It also extended to disputes with Stake’s “contractors, agents, licensors, subcontractors, or suppliers.”
Drake and Ross, both paid endorsers of the platform, argue that they fall under that umbrella and are therefore shielded from court litigation.
For now, the core issue isn’t whether Stake.us is legal; it’s whether this dispute should be handled in court or behind closed doors. Drake, Ross, and Stake want the case paused while an arbitrator determines not only the merits of the claims but also whether Drake and Ross should even be part of the case.
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