A lawsuit filed in Virginia is accusing Drake and internet personalities Adin Ross and George Nguyen of soliciting users to use an online gambling platform and using the money to inflate Drake’s streams. The class action suit was filed in federal court in Virginia by two consumers, LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines. The defendants haven’t publicly addressed the suit so far.
The lawsuit alleges that Drake and Adin Ross exposed consumers to ‘gambling addiction’
As Rolling Stone reported, the suit alleges the three men worked with casino platform Stake to “prey upon consumers” and expose them to the “substantial risks of gambling addiction.” Ridley and Hines said they were “influenced to participate” in a “predatorial gambling environment” via Stake after Drake promoted the website, which included giveaways and live-streamed gambling sessions.
The lawsuit also accuses the defendants of having used Stake as a “money transfer conduit.” Drake, Ross, and Nguyen allegedly used the platform’s tipping feature to transfer money among themselves, which the suit characterized as “an unlimited and wholly unregulated money transmitter that appears to exist outside the oversight of any financial regulator.”
Per USA Today, “Lawyers for the Stake users, alleging violations of the RICO and Virginia Consumer Protection Act, are demanding both damages and a jury trial.
The lawsuit also alleges that Drake and Adin Ross used gambling money to inflate music streams
The allegations include funds being used in “amplification campaigns” in favor of Drake’s music.
“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 suit indicates. “This manipulation has suppressed authentic artists and narrowed consumers’ access to legitimate content by undermining the integrity of curated experiences.”
The lawsuit calls out alleged ‘racketeering activity’ and ‘false marketing manipulation’
The suit says the scheme “remains an ongoing and imminent threat of racketeering activity” since 2022.
“Plaintiffs have been damaged by the false marketing manipulation and abuses of defendants Drake, Ross, and Nguyen, who participate in the marketing of Stake,” it reads.
The suit claims that Drake, Ross, and Nguyen violated the Virginia Consumer Protection Act and participated in a racketeering conspiracy under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. It pointed to Nguyen as having served as “broker and operational facilitator” of the operation by receiving cryptocurrency on Stake, as well as by “interfacing with bot vendors, supervising coordinated amplification strategies, and integrating paid ‘clipping’ campaigns” on social media platforms.
The lawsuit intends to represent Virginia residents who lost one or more wagers via Stake Cash in the last three years, according to Rolling Stone. It follows another class action lawsuit filed by a Missouri man in October against Drake, Ross and Nguyen. This case was moved to federal court last month.