President Donald Trump shared three promotional Truth Social posts for Stake, a sweepstakes casino operating under a Curaçao license with no U.S. gaming license, after Stake co-founder Bijan Tehrani donated more than $2.7 million to Trump-aligned political committees, federal campaign finance records show.
The posts, shared April 9, May 8, and May 20, 2026, promote the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House on June 14, 2026, and feature Stake branding. Whether the posts were paid endorsements or organic content created by the Trump team is not known.
Why it matters
Sweepstakes casinos such as Stake.us operate outside the state regulatory frameworks that govern licensed real-money online casinos. They are not required to provide audited random-number generators, state-mandated responsible gambling tools, or formal player dispute resolution. A presidential endorsement could lead players to believe Stake is a regulated U.S. platform. At least 12 states have passed laws banning the dual-currency sweepstakes model, according to Casino.org's review of state legislation.
The donations behind the posts
Federal Election Commission records compiled by Casino.org show Tehrani gave $1 million to MAGA Inc. in February 2025, $852,396 to Trump 47 Committee in August 2024, $500,000 to Turnout for America in 2024, and $371,700 to the Republican National Committee in 2024, for a documented total exceeding $2.7 million. Casino.org's itemization lists four contributions and may not be exhaustive.
UFC President Dana White, who has donated millions to Trump campaigns and maintains a close personal relationship with the president according to public records, is a connecting figure. Stake is an official UFC betting partner outside the U.S. and Canada. bet365 holds those rights within North America.
Stake's regulatory status
Stake operates a sweepstakes platform in the U.S. under a Curaçao license and is registered in Cyprus. "Stake isn't a licensed online gambling platform anywhere within the United States," according to Casino.org, a position consistent with state regulatory actions. Unlike licensed real-money online casinos in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Michigan, Stake.us does not answer to state gaming control boards.
Critics including state lawmakers, gaming regulators, and attorneys general argue the sweepstakes model violates state gaming laws. At least 12 states have passed laws banning dual-currency sweepstakes casinos, according to Casino.org: California, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Washington. Lawmakers in additional states have introduced bills targeting the sweepstakes model.
Player protections
Players who deposit money at Stake.us or any unlicensed sweepstakes casino lack the consumer protections that state-licensed iGaming operators must provide. Licensed U.S. operators must submit to regular audits of their random-number generators, offer state-approved responsible gambling tools including deposit limits, time-outs, and self-exclusion, and provide a formal dispute resolution process through the state gaming authority.
Sweepstakes casinos operating under Curaçao licenses do not meet those standards. Players who experience a disputed withdrawal or suspect unfair gameplay have no U.S. regulatory body to appeal to. The terms of service for sweepstakes platforms typically require arbitration in the jurisdiction where the company is incorporated, often outside the United States.
What remains unclear
No federal agency, including the SEC, CFTC, or DOJ, has publicly taken a position on the promotion of an unregistered gaming platform by the president. Stake.us real-money deposit volume and the number of active U.S. players are not publicly disclosed. No evidence has emerged of a direct quid pro quo between Tehrani's donations and Trump's posts. the available record establishes a temporal and financial connection but does not establish an explicit exchange.
What happens next
The UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House on June 14, 2026, could generate additional attention for Stake's brand. Lawmakers in several states are expected to introduce legislation targeting sweepstakes casinos during upcoming sessions. Players considering deposits at Stake.us or similar platforms face the absence of state-regulated consumer protections that exist for licensed online casinos.
