Drake, Adin Ross named in New Jersey federal RICO lawsuit over sweepstakes casino promotion
A new federal lawsuit filed in New Jersey names Stake.us, Drake, Adin Ross, and DJ Akademiks as defendants, alleging illegal gambling and racketeering. The suit claims the platform's social casino model is a 'fig leaf' and that influencer promotions were deceptive, coming after New Jersey banned sweepstakes casinos on August 15, 2025.
A federal civil class action complaint filed April 22, 2025 in New Jersey names Drake, Adin Ross, DJ Akademiks, Stake, and Kick as defendants, alleging they conspired to promote Stake.us as an illegal gambling platform, according to the complaint filed by plaintiff Jason Nufio.
The lawsuit invokes the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. No defendant has been charged with or convicted of any crime in connection with these allegations. all counts are civil claims.
Background
The complaint alleges that Drake, Adin Ross, DJ Akademiks, and George Nguyen colluded with Stake and Kick to operate Stake.us, a sweepstakes casino, as an illegal gambling platform. According to the complaint, purchases of virtual currency on Stake.us constituted illegal wagers under New Jersey law.
A related complaint filed by Impresa Legal Group alleges the defendants used proceeds from the alleged illegal gambling operation to fund bot networks that artificially inflated Drake's streaming numbers. That complaint alleges DJ Akademiks "knowingly and directly contributed to Drake's inflation of his streaming numbers through bot networks," according to the Impresa filing.
The RICO claims
The complaint argues that the alleged gambling promotion and bot fraud constitute a pattern of racketeering activity under RICO, a statute typically applied in organized crime prosecutions. Civil RICO claims require plaintiffs to demonstrate a pattern of predicate acts. the statute provides for treble damages if liability is established.
New Jersey enacted a law effective August 15, 2025 that outlaws the sweepstakes casino model. The complaint asserts that promotion of Stake.us to New Jersey residents was unlawful under that statute. Whether a court will apply the ban to conduct alleged in the complaint has not been determined.
Allegations regarding promoter conduct
The complaint alleges that Adin Ross and Drake did not bear financial risk when gambling on stream to promote Stake services. The role of defendant George Nguyen, named as a co-conspirator in the complaint, is not described in detail in available filings.
The complaint does not disclose the specific dollar amount of losses claimed by plaintiff Jason Nufio. Stake has not publicly stated whether it geoblocked New Jersey players after the August 15, 2025 ban took effect.
Status of the case
No defendant has filed an answer. The court has not issued any ruling on how the sweepstakes ban applies to Stake.us. A similar complaint was filed in New York, where a separate plaintiff alleged that Stake.us targeted young people through influencer promotions, according to that filing.
The New Jersey case must first proceed through any motions to dismiss before the RICO claims can be adjudicated on the merits.
Sources
- [1]31 Defendants, Including Members and Associates of Organized.
Regulatory source · Tier 1 · justice.gov · Accessed 2026-04-29
Supports: Reported topic: 31 Defendants, Including Members and Associates of Organized.
Source notes: Claim mapping inferred from the stored source title; verify the source before relying on material claims.
- [2]Drake, Adin Ross, and DJ Akademiks Named in New Gambling.
Source · Unclassified · complex.com · Accessed 2026-04-29T11:00:34.911Z
Supports: Reported topic: Drake, Adin Ross, and DJ Akademiks Named in New Gambling.
Source notes: Claim mapping inferred from the stored source title; verify the source before relying on material claims.
- [3]A new federal lawsuit filed on Wednesday (April 22) has named rap.
Source · Unclassified · facebook.com · Accessed 2026-04-29T11:00:34.911Z
Supports: Reported topic: A new federal lawsuit filed on Wednesday (April 22) has named rap.
Source notes: Claim mapping inferred from the stored source title; verify the source before relying on material claims.
- [4]Drake, Adin Ross, and DJ Akademiks Named in New Gambling.
Source · Unclassified · yahoo.com · Accessed 2026-04-29T11:00:34.911Z
Supports: Reported topic: Drake, Adin Ross, and DJ Akademiks Named in New Gambling.
Source notes: Claim mapping inferred from the stored source title; verify the source before relying on material claims.
- [5]gamblingnews.com
Source · Unclassified · gamblingnews.com · Accessed 2026-05-13
Supports: Source URL topic: drake adin ross dj akademiks named in new gambling lawsuit
Source notes: Claim mapping inferred from the stored source title; verify the source before relying on material claims.
- [6]Drake & DJ Akademiks Allegedly 'Inflicted Harm' According To Stake.
Source · Unclassified · power1051.iheart.com · Accessed 2026-04-29T11:00:34.172Z
Supports: Reported topic: Drake & DJ Akademiks Allegedly 'Inflicted Harm' According To Stake.
Source notes: Claim mapping inferred from the stored source title; verify the source before relying on material claims.
- [7]A new lawsuit alleges Drake, DJ Akademiks and Adin Ross "inflicted.
Source · Unclassified · facebook.com · Accessed 2026-04-29T11:00:34.172Z
Supports: Reported topic: A new lawsuit alleges Drake, DJ Akademiks and Adin Ross "inflicted.
Source notes: Claim mapping inferred from the stored source title; verify the source before relying on material claims.
- [8]Drake Adin Ross DJ Akademiks Hit With Federal Racketeering Suit
Source · Unclassified · allhiphop.com · Accessed 2026-04-29T11:00:34.172Z
Supports: Reported topic: Drake Adin Ross DJ Akademiks Hit With Federal Racketeering Suit
Source notes: Claim mapping inferred from the stored source title; verify the source before relying on material claims.
- [9]Impresa Legal Group Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Drake, Adin.
Source · Unclassified · rapindustry.com · Accessed 2026-04-29
Supports: Reported topic: Impresa Legal Group Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Drake, Adin.
Source notes: Claim mapping inferred from the stored source title; verify the source before relying on material claims.
- [10]A new lawsuit alleges Drake, DJ Akademiks and Adin Ross "inflicted.
Source · Unclassified · facebook.com · Accessed 2026-04-29
Supports: Reported topic: A new lawsuit alleges Drake, DJ Akademiks and Adin Ross "inflicted.
Source notes: Claim mapping inferred from the stored source title; verify the source before relying on material claims.
