Drake’s Public Split with Stake and Kick

The biggest influencer deal in the casino world has fallen apart as Drake has publicly fallen out with Stake and streaming platform Kick, among allegations of unpaid payments and advertising restrictions.

Music star Drake is the public face of Stake, and his streams on Kick were an integral part of the partnership. Kick and Stake are both part-owned by Bijan Tehrani, and Drake was an integral part of the marketing plan for both companies. This month Drake alleged that Kick had begun to limit his ability to push affiliate links to Stake, and he also labelled Kick co-founder Ed Craven a “snake and a goof.”

As part of the public break-up, Drake revealed four attempts to withdraw funds from Stake that were denied. “4 withdraw attempts blocked on @Stake with no explanation,” he posted on social media. “Is it personal?”

Kick Deal Gone as Well?

Drake’s page has now disappeared from Kick, leaving more than 300,000 followers with no streams. Kick part-owner Adin Ross confirmed Drake’s departure from the streaming platform he helped grow into a genuine rival for Twitch, claiming that the rap icon would only collaborate on other streams from now on.

Stake has not issued any kind of formal response to the allegations of denied withdrawals or the breakdown of the relationship with its biggest influencer. It’s the biggest crypto casino in the world, with a near 50% market share, and deals with Drake and the UFC are largely credited with its massive growth and appeal to younger gamblers.

It remains to be seen how this public fallout will impact Stake’s revenues, if at all, but it’s certainly not a good look for the casino when its own ambassador claims he can’t access his winnings.