Drake has once again captured public attention with his extravagant gambling habits. In a recent Instagram post, he revealed that he lost $8 million out of $125 million wagered on the cryptocurrency-based gambling platform Stake over the past month.
The disclosure included a $750,000 bet on Royal Challengers Bengaluru during the IPL 2025 final, underscoring his taste for high-stakes wagers. However, this revelation has ignited a firestorm of debate, fueled by an accusation from hip-hop media figure DJ Vlad, who claims the losses are fabricated.
On June 21, 2025, DJ Vlad took to X to challenge Drake’s claims, asserting that the rapper is faking his $8 million loss. As an alleged part-owner of Stake, Vlad argued that Drake is betting with “house money,” implying that the losses are not genuine financial setbacks.
”I spoke to someone high up in the gambling business about it. Drake is a part owner of Stake, so when he makes these public “bets” he is really just using house money to make them. This is proven by the odds never changing after making those bets.”
He bolstered his accusation by pointing out that the odds on Stake remain unchanged despite Drake’s massive bets, suggesting they do not impact the platform’s betting market as real wagers would.
Drake’s relationship with Stake is not one of ownership but a highly profitable sponsorship. Since announcing his partnership with the platform in 2022, he has been tied to a deal reportedly worth between $100 million and $180 million annually, making it one of the most lucrative celebrity endorsements in the gambling industry.
According to DJ Akademiks, Drake’s obligations are minimal: he earns millions by featuring Stake in his social media bio, hosting monthly streams, and placing high-profile bets on major sports events. In 2022, Drake earned $100,000 annually from the partnership, but this figure has likely grown significantly alongside Stake’s expansion. Some sources now estimate the deal’s value at up to $180 million, with payments tied to his promotional efforts rather than betting success.
A key argument against the authenticity of Drake’s bets is that real, large wagers should cause odds to shift, yet his bets don’t seem to trigger such changes. In traditional betting markets, sportsbooks adjust odds when significant money is placed on one side to balance risk. For example, a $500,000 wager in NFL betting can move the point spread by 0.5 points. However, several factors could explain why Drake’s bets don’t have this effect:
- Cryptocurrency Platform Dynamics: Stake operates on a cryptocurrency model, which may have liquidity and risk management structures different from traditional sportsbooks. The crypto betting market might absorb large wagers without significant odds movement.
- Pre-arranged Promotional Bets: If Drake’s wagers are part of his promotional deal, Stake may treat them as marketing expenses rather than genuine customer bets, meaning they don’t affect the odds.
- Market Size and Liquidity: Drake typically bets on major events with massive global betting volumes. His wagers, though significant, may be a small fraction of the total market action, limiting their impact on odds.
The theory that Drake uses promotional funds rather than his own money has some support:
- Promotional Arrangements: In the gambling industry, it’s common for influencers to receive “play money” or subsidized accounts for content creation. These funds allow for dramatic betting without real financial risk.
- Lack of Financial Impact: Despite reportedly losing over $8 million in a single month, Drake continues to place similarly large bets. For someone with an estimated net worth of $250 million, such losses are significant but sustainable given his massive compensation from Stake.
- Industry Practices: Many influencers in the gambling space use platform-provided funds, creating content that appears genuine but is subsidized.
Not everyone agrees with Vlad’s skepticism. Drake’s transparency—sharing screenshots of his bets and losses on social media and even consulting ChatGPT for betting advice—suggests a genuine engagement with gambling. On X, user @NSBrooklyn5 countered Vlad, stating,
“I think you are wrong in this regard, all of those bets made by Drake are placed for real whether he can withdraw it or not, but I guarantee you Stake can withdraw all of them, but he just loses them.”
A history of friction between Drake and Vlad further complicates the controversy. In 2014, Vlad recounted an encounter at a Beats By Dre party where Drake confronted him, saying, “Stop talking shit about me.” This past animosity might influence Vlad’s current stance, though he frames his accusation as industry-informed rather than personal. Whether this history biases his commentary remains a point of speculation.