AceShowbiz - A new federal lawsuit has been filed in New Jersey targeting Drake, streamer Adin Ross, DJ Akademiks, and the Stake gambling platform over allegations of running an illegal gambling operation.

The complaint, submitted by Jason Nufio of Roselle, New Jersey, on April 22, accuses the defendants of promoting Stake without disclosing their financial ties, leading everyday consumers to lose real money while the celebrities faced no financial risk.

According to the court documents, the lawsuit claims that Stake’s business model violated state gambling laws, with the platform’s use of virtual "gold coins" described as a legal loophole designed to disguise illegal gambling activities. The filing refers to this virtual currency as "a fig leaf to superficially avoid the appearance of illegal gambling and afford Stake a veneer of deniability."

Nufio’s complaint points out that while ordinary users lost real money following endorsements from Drake, Adin Ross, and DJ Akademiks, the celebrities themselves were paid directly by Stake and had no genuine financial exposure.

In addition to the gambling allegations, the lawsuit accuses DJ Akademiks of assisting Drake in artificially inflating his streaming numbers. The filing alleges that Akademiks knowingly promoted false information and used bot networks to boost streaming statistics, and that he also received payments via Stake’s tipping feature for his participation in the scheme.

This New Jersey case is part of a broader wave of litigation against the same defendants, with similar lawsuits filed recently in Missouri, New Mexico, and Virginia. The timing coincides with New Jersey’s August 2025 legislation that made participation in sweepstakes casinos illegal within the state.

According to the documents, Nufio claims the defendants’ actions caused harm to consumers statewide, who lost money chasing gambling wins on Stake’s platform, while the celebrities escaped financial risk.

The lawsuit seeks recovery of losses incurred by users along with additional damages. It comes at a challenging moment for Drake, who is preparing to release his ninth studio album, ICEMAN, on May 15, potentially adding legal distractions to an important career milestone.