Sabrina Carpenter and Drake have been vying for the No. 1 ranking on the Billboard 200 charts, with each of their respective albums recently landing at No. 1 and No. 2. However, a recent video of Drake gambling online inside a club has driven his fans into anger and dispute.

The video, initially posted on Instagram and then covered by Billboard, shows the Toronto artist lying in a white robe, playing virtual slots on a television screen as Carpenter’s hit song Espresso plays in the background.

A user who posted it on Instagram captioned the video, “@champagnepapi rented out our club and is playing Stake on a Tuesday. This guy is different, man.” 

One of Drake’s fans understood the action as a possible indicator of gambling dependency, labeling it a “cry for help.”

Others, however, admired the action as a remarkable promotion act for Stake, the online casino whose endorsement agreement Drake enjoys quite heavily.

Most X (ex-Twitter) users branded the action a “W” for Stake’s reputation, contending that Drake’s celebrity betting sessions are a huge endorsement for the company.

The drama surrounding the rapper’s betting blew up after his longtime beef with Kendrick Lamar, who in the past subtly suggested in his song Meet the Grahams that Drake is a gambler.

Drake’s investment with Stake has been showcased recently. The rapper posts his bets before major sporting events, usually betting highly and posting about his losses and wins on social media.

Gambling problems or marketing ploys?

There have long been accusations that Drake’s gambling on social media is a hoax, simply a tool for generating publicity for Stake. Drake has undertaken other work described as being staged for similar reasons.

In mid-February 2025, a video clip appeared of Drake in his Sydney penthouse, responding to a drone hovering around his balcony. The clip starts with the drone targeting a laptop with a gambling website, Stake, on its screen. As he sees the drone, Drake tries to frighten it away by throwing an orange slide, which misses.

The authenticity of the video was soon questioned. Paying attention to detail, some viewers pointed out the reflection of a person in the glass door, who could be the drone operator, implying that the accident could have been faked. The fact that the Stake website was prominently featured on Drake’s laptop also fueled rumors that the video was an advertisement gimmick for the gambling site.

Drake’s follow-up social media behavior validates this thesis. He uploaded a screenshot of the video, sporting a stake-branded T-shirt, and wrote, “The stakes are high. But so am I.”

Stake to leave U.K. regulated market

Drake isn’t the only one sparking controversies in the media. His endorser, Stake, had to cease all operations in the U.K. after the Great Britain Gaming Commission revoked its operator license due to its branding appearing on an adult actress as she appeared outside Nottingham Trent University. 

Stake have until March 11 to leave the United Kingdom and remove all sponsorships from U.K.-based football clubs, most notably Premier League team Everton.

Pages related to this topic