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Stake (online casino)

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Stake.com
IndustryGambling
Founded2017 (2017)
Headquarters
Curaçao Edit this on Wikidata
Key peopleMladen Vučković (CEO)[1]
Websitestake.com

Stake is an Australian-Curaçaoan online casino. It is operated by Medium Rare N.V., a company incorporated in Curaçao, where it holds an online casino licence.[2]

History

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In 2016, Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani established Easygo, a company which developed games for online casinos.[2] The two helped create Stake.com, which was founded in 2017.[2] They also sponsored formula one team Alfa Romeo in 2023 and Sauber in 2024 and 2025.[3] The company partnered with UFC to become an "official betting partner" in 2022.[4]

Offerings

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Stake.com has become the biggest online Casino in the world and offers traditional casino games (such as slots, blackjack and roulette with or without live dealers).[2] as well as sports betting and poker.[2][5][6]

Users on Stake.com typically do not deal with traditional currencies, instead they deposit and withdraw cryptocurrencies to and from their betting account.[2] Account balances can be withdrawn in the equivalent value of cryptocurrency and then deposited back into the user's personal cryptocurrency wallet.[2] Users of Stake.com's UK site deal only in fiat currency.[7]

Licenses

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In December 2021, Stake.com launched in the UK in partnership with TGP Europe.[7] In 2023, Stake acquired Betfair Colombia[8] after buying Idealbet in Italy in 2024.[9] Peru was also launched by securing a license there.[10] The expansion accelerated in 2025 when Stake got licensed in Brazil[11] and bought Mocinoplay in Denmark.[12] In the first half of 2026, Stake has already added Greenland[13] and Mexico.[14]

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Livestream sponsorships

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On October 18, 2022, Twitch banned livestreams promoting unlicensed gambling sites.[15] This decision came amidst controversy surrounding online casinos' sponsorships of popular livestreamers, including Stake's sponsorships of xQc and Trainwreckstv. These partnerships were criticized by the National Council on Problem Gambling as "illegal or unregulated" and posing "definite risks for consumers, vulnerable adults, and adolescents or underage children."[16] Prior to the announcement of the updated gambling policy, streamer Pokimane had proposed a strike and boycott during the peak Christmas ad sales period to pressure Twitch to take action against gambling streams.[17]

Ed Craven launched the livestreaming platform Kick in December 2022, two months after the Twitch gambling ban. Stake continued to sponsor livestreamers on Kick, including Adin Ross and Canadian rapper Drake. A 2026 Bloomberg Businessweek analysis of 1,500 hours of livestream footage from 25 Kick streamers reported that Drake achieved "big wins" of "1,000 times or more the base bet" on Stake at twice the rate of the second-luckiest player. Stake rejected the findings, calling them "categorically incorrect," and Craven has stated that Stake has "no direct control of the odds of any of our games."[18]

Class action lawsuit

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Photograph of Drake
Photograph of Adin Ross
Rapper Drake and streamer Adin Ross were named as defendants in a class-action lawsuit that also targeted the US version of Stake

On December 31st, 2025, Sweepsteaks Ltd., the corporation responsible for operations of the Stake.us site, was named as a defendant in a class action RICO lawsuit alongside Drake and Adin Ross.[19][20] The suit stated that Stake.us engaged in "deceptive" practices, enabling gambling with real money while claiming to act as a "social casino" in which only valueless tokens were exchanged; according to the suit, Stake's "Gold Coin" tokens were bundled with a "free bonus" of "Stake Cash" that could be wagered and exchange for US dollars.[21] The suit also targeted the casino's streamer sponsorships, alleging that the streams were misleading as streamers were gambling with house money and therefore not facing real losses, and described Drake's association with Stake as "quietly corrosive" and "glamorizing the platform to millions of impressionable fans."[22] It also accused Drake and Ross of engaging in a conspiracy to illegally promote Stake and "prey upon consumers" for personal gain.[23] A Stake.us representative told Rolling Stone that the lawsuit was "a nonsense claim" about which the company was "not concerned."

On July 30th, 2026, US District Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that an arbitration clause in Stake's user agreement required the dispute with Stake to be settled by a private arbitrator and halted the claims against the other defendants until the claim against Stake could be resolved.[24]

Premier League sponsorships and UK gambling license

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In summer 2022, Stake was announced as the front-of-shirt sponsor for Everton F.C. starting in the 2022–23 Premier League season.[25]

Everton F.C. players wearing Stake branded shirts in 2025

The following year, Stake engaged in talks with Chelsea F.C. to replace the team's expiring contract with Three and a proposed partnership with Paramount+ that had been blocked by the Premier League. The partnership was criticized by the team's fans; a survey of the Chelsea Supporters Trust showed 77% disapproval and the organization released a statement calling the deal "short-sighted" and "not in line with the commitment of growing Chelsea FC as a 'world class' organization."[26] Following the negative reaction, Chelsea withdrew from negotiations.[27]

In January 2025, The Guardian reported that the Advertising Standards Authority was investigating the casino for the use of Stake branding in unofficial advertisements online.[28] One such advertisement, featuring pornographic actress Bonnie Blue, resulted in an investigation by the Gambling Commission. In February 2025, the Commission announced that Stake's local white-label operator TGP Europe had agreed to shut down the casino's UK website.[29] Stake referred to the site's shuttering as a "strategic decision in mutual agreement with TGP Europe" to pivot to in-house management of operations in the UK market. The Commission warned Everton that "club officers may be liable to prosecution" for promoting an unlicensed gambling business.[30]

Despite the Gambling Commission's warnings and plans by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to ban football sponsorships by unlicensed gambling companies as soon as August 2027, Everton signed a new deal with Stake for the 2026–27 Premier League season.[31][32] As the league's ban on front-of-shirt sponsorships by gambling companies came into effect that season, Stake's shirt sponsorship was replaced by CMC Markets and the casino became the team's sleeve sponsor.[33]

Social media advertising

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A variant of the Stake banner that appeared on posts on X

In late-2024, it was reported that Stake had partnered with a number of content aggregator accounts on X, which began reposting viral images and videos taken from other users with a watermark advertising Stake. The UK Advertising Standards Authority stated in October 2024 that it had been made aware of the advertising and was monitoring it.[34]

The ads appeared to violate X's terms of service, which banned users from engaging in paid partnerships with gambling companies,[35] and may have run afoul of advertising codes restricting the marketing of gambling products where minors may be present. The watermarks were satirized by social media users in posts featuring excessive numbers of Stake logos for comedic effect or Stake-style banners featuring logos of other companies.[36]

Other

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In April 2026, lawsuits alleging that Stake targeted children with gambling advertisements were filed in New York and Florida.[37][38][1]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 Fletcher, Robert (10 February 2022). "Stake.com extends UFC LatAm partnership to cover Brazil". iGaming Business. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Danckert, Sarah (10 December 2021). "The secret Australian origins of the world's biggest crypto casino". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  3. ↑ "Sauber to run under Stake F1 Team name in 2024-25". www.motorsport.com. 8 July 2026.
  4. ↑ O’Connor, Laura (5 July 2026). "Fake Accounts Crying Jackpot Are Selling the iGambling Dream". Jacobin. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Danckert, Sarah (17 March 2022). "Australian casino donates to Ukraine but questions remain over Russian gamblers". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  6. ↑ Hampton, Adam (11 September 2024). "New online poker product launched at Stake.com". www.poker.org. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  7. 1 2 Orme-Claye, Ted (17 December 2021). "Stake.com commences UK sports betting and casino operations". SBC News. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  8. ↑ Brown, Nick (9 November 2023). "Stake acquires Betfair Colombia". iGB. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  9. ↑ O'Brien, Bren (31 July 2024). "Italy move ideal for ambitious Aussie-owned Stake.com". The Straight. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  10. ↑ Crowley, Stuart (19 August 2024). "Stake secures licence in Peru, launches online casino and sportsbook". NEXT.io. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  11. ↑ Vinicius, Luiz (6 January 2025). "Stake becomes a force in Brazil with new license and announces country manager". iGaming Brazil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  12. ↑ Fletcher, Robert (13 January 2025). "Stake eyes Denmark move with MocinoPlay acquisition". iGB. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  13. ↑ Arngrímsson, Ingi Thor (16 April 2026). "Stake is Now Live in Greenland—But It's More Than Just a PR Stunt". iGamingToday.com - News, insights and Slots review. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  14. ↑ Goldsmith, Kyle (5 May 2026). "Stake enters Mexico ahead of World Cup as LatAm expansion gathers pace". iGB. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Parrish, Ash (20 September 2022). "Twitch to ban Stake.com streams and other unlicensed gambling content". The Verge. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  16. ↑ D'Anastasio, Cecilia (13 July 2021). "Twitch Streamers Rake in Millions With a Shady Crypto Gambling Boom". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Gordon, Nicholas (21 September 2022). "Twitch bans some gambling streams days after streamers threaten strike". Yahoo! Finance.
  18. ↑ D'Anastasio, Cecilia; Solon, Olivia; Yin, Leon (18 March 2026). "How to Win Slots and Influence People". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  19. ↑ Murray, Conor. "Stake Class Action Lawsuit: Drake Named In Case Accusing Online Casino Of 'Deceptive' Practices". Forbes. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  20. ↑ The Canadian Press (2 January 2026). "Drake faces U.S. lawsuit over ties to online gambling firm, scheme to inflate streams". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  21. ↑ Motter, Sarah (28 October 2025). "'Deliberate deception': Lawsuit targets Stake, Drake for alleged illegal gambling scheme". KCTV5. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "Rapper Drake facing lawsuit for allegedly promoting illegal, fraudulent gambling scheme". ABC7 New York. 29 October 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  23. ↑ Blistein, Jon; Dillon, Nancy (2 January 2026). "Drake, Adin Ross Used Online Casino Money for Artificial Streams, Lawsuit Claims". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  24. ↑ "Drake 'Fraudulent Streams' Case on Ice". Rolling Stone Australia. 31 July 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  25. ↑ Gibbons, Lottie (9 June 2022). "Who is Everton's new shirt sponsor and what is Stake.com?". www.liverpoolecho.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  26. ↑ Ingle, Sean (19 June 2023). "Chelsea fans voice opposition to sponsorship deal with online casino". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  27. ↑ "Chelsea abandons Stake.com negotiations of front of shirt sponsorship". 6 July 2023. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  28. ↑ MacInnes, Paul; MacInnes, Exclusive by Paul (17 January 2025). "Everton shirt sponsor Stake under investigation over social media posts". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  29. ↑ Davies, Rob; Wood, Greg (12 February 2025). "Everton FC sponsor Stake.com to give up gambling licence in Great Britain". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  30. ↑ Buckingham, Philip; Boyland, Patrick (13 February 2025). "Stake and Everton: How a porn star led to a Gambling Commission warning". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  31. ↑ Davies, Rob (12 July 2026). "UK to crack down on unlicensed casinos sponsoring football teams". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  32. ↑ Davies, Rob (15 July 2026). "Unlicensed casinos could face ban on sponsoring UK sports teams from 2027". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  33. ↑ O'Malley, Andrew (3 July 2026). "Everton Moves Stake to Shirt Sleeve as Premier League Gambling Ban Nears | Gambling Insider". Gambling Insider. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  34. ↑ "ASA to monitor surge of 'Stake' watermarks on social media". InsiderSport. 11 October 2024. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
  35. ↑ Kleen, Brendon (30 October 2024). "X users highlight Stake-sponsored posts that appear to violate platform's paid partnerships policy". Awful Announcing. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  36. ↑ Carry, Owen (14 November 2024). "Why This Crypto Casino Wants to Steal Your Best Memes". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  37. ↑ Levi, Melanie (15 April 2026). "Pensacola law firm files first-ever underage gambling complaint against Stake.com". WEAR. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  38. ↑ "'The Next Addiction Crisis'?: Stake.com and Coinbase Accused in Complaint of Luring Minors Into Online Gambling". Law.com. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
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