A new federal class-action lawsuit filed in Virginia accused Drake, streamer Adin Ross, and an Australian man identified in the complaint as George Nguyen of working with the casino platform Stake.us to “prey upon consumers” and use proceeds to artificially inflate streaming counts for Drake’s catalog, the complaint alleges.

Filed by plaintiffs LaShawnna Ridley and Tiffany Hines, the suit said the defendants acted as paid promoters of Stake and used the platform’s user-to-user tipping feature as an unregulated conduit to move money among themselves. The complaint alleges those transfers were then funneled into schemes, including bots and streaming farms, to boost play counts and run coordinated amplification campaigns.

The plaintiffs seek to represent Virginia users who lost wagers on Stake within the last three years and bring claims under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act as well as federal racketeering (RICO) statutes, arguing the alleged conduct damaged consumers and “undermined the integrity” of streaming metrics. 

The Virginia filing follows related litigation that surfaced last fall. A Missouri plaintiff filed a similar proposed class action in October that accused Drake, Ross, and Stake of deceptive gambling practices, and that case has since been moved to federal court. The new complaint said the alleged scheme traces back to 2022 and remains ongoing. 

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. 

Reportedly, the lawsuit ties into broader concerns about how dual-currency “social casino” models, which pair non-redeemable virtual coins with redeemable tokens, can skirt gambling laws and expose players to real-money risk. Critics and lawmakers have highlighted that loophole in recent bills and debates.

A Stake representative and the other named defendants had not provided comment, and a representative for Drake declined to comment to reporters. The litigation is ongoing and plaintiffs are asking a court to certify a class and pursue damages as the case proceeds.