{"investigation":{"slug":"stake-com","entity_name":"Stake.com","trust_score":32,"severity_base":null,"score_modifier":0,"confidence":0.9,"status":"published","content_type":"investigation","summary":"Stake.com is a Curacao-licensed cryptocurrency casino and sports betting platform co-founded in 2017 by Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani and operated by Medium Rare N.V., with reported 2024 revenue of about $4.7 billion. In September 2023 roughly $41 million was drained from its hot wallets across Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain and Polygon, a theft the FBI attributed to North Korea's Lazarus Group (APT38) within about 48 hours. The platform and its affiliates face regulatory and legal pressure in several jurisdictions, including a UK Gambling Commission fine and market exit, a 2025 civil suit by the Los Angeles City Attorney against Stake.us, multiple US class actions, and alleged AML weaknesses.","sections":[{"content":"Stake.com was launched in August 2017 by entrepreneurs Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani. Craven was born in 1995 in Melbourne, Australia; Tehrani was born in the United States to Iranian parents and resides in Melbourne. The two first connected through the online game RuneScape around 2010, where they were allegedly banned for operating an in-game casino as teenagers. They previously built Primedice, a Bitcoin dice game (2013), and Easygo, an online casino games studio (2016), before launching Stake. Both founders are publicly identified and have given media interviews; Craven has been described as one of the world's youngest self-made billionaires.\n\nThe platform is formally operated by Medium Rare N.V., incorporated in Curacao, with regional entities including TGP Europe Limited (formerly UK-licensed) and Stake Brazil Ltda (Brazilian licensed). The broader group is held under Easygo Group Holdings Pty Ltd., which also owns Kick Streaming Pty Ltd. Stake maintains offices in Serbia, Australia and Cyprus.\n\nStake offers more than 4,000 casino games, including slots, live-dealer and table games, and a sportsbook covering major sporting events and esports. Users transact exclusively in cryptocurrency, with roughly 20 supported digital assets including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Polygon. Stake reported gross gaming revenue of approximately $4.7 billion in 2024, placing it alongside major traditional operators such as Entain. A separate sweepstakes-model product, Stake.us, operates in 29 US states.","heading":"Platform Overview and Corporate Structure","sources":[{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stake_(online_casino)","name":"Wikipedia: Stake (online casino)","type":"other","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.businessofigaming.com/stake-crypto-casino-growth-revenue-regulation/","name":"businessofigaming.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Craven","name":"Wikipedia: Ed Craven","type":"other","credibility":3},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bijan_Tehrani_(entrepreneur)","name":"Wikipedia: Bijan Tehrani (entrepreneur)","type":"other","credibility":3},{"url":"https://casinobeats.com/features/ed-craven-net-worth/","name":"casinobeats.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://fincrimecentral.com/stake-multi-billion-gambling-empire/","name":"fincrimecentral.com","type":"research","credibility":3}],"severity":"low"},{"content":"Stake.com holds an online gaming license (OGL/2024/1451/0918) from the Curacao Gaming Authority. Curacao's regulatory environment has historically been criticised for minimal enforcement and limited cross-border authority; the Fincrime Central analysis described Medium Rare N.V.'s home jurisdiction as having limited cross-border enforcement capacity. A new National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK) entered into force on December 24, 2024, replacing the sublicense model with direct licensing and ongoing supervision by the Curacao Gaming Authority; its practical impact on operators such as Stake is not yet established.\n\nThe platform is blocked in the United States, the United Kingdom, much of the European Union (including Italy and Denmark) and other jurisdictions. Multiple reports allege that users in blocked jurisdictions, including US residents, can and do access Stake.com via VPNs.","heading":"Licensing and Jurisdictional Restrictions","sources":[{"url":"https://stake.com/licenses","name":"stake.com licenses","type":"official","credibility":3},{"url":"https://coincub.com/blog/curacao-gaming-license/","name":"coincub.com","type":"research","credibility":3},{"url":"https://fincrimecentral.com/stake-multi-billion-gambling-empire/","name":"fincrimecentral.com","type":"research","credibility":3},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stake_(online_casino)","name":"Wikipedia: Stake (online casino)","type":"other","credibility":3}],"severity":"medium"},{"content":"On or about September 4, 2023, Stake.com's hot wallets on Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain (BSC) and Polygon were drained in a rapid multi-chain attack. Reports differ slightly on the total: most coverage gives approximately $41 million, while blockchain security firm Beosin (as cited by Hacken) calculated approximately $41.35 million. The per-chain breakdown is consistent across reports: about $15.7 million on Ethereum, $17.8 million on BSC and $7.8 million on Polygon. Assets taken on Ethereum included approximately 6,001 ETH, 3.9 million USDT, 1.1 million USDC and 900,000 DAI; BSC losses included approximately 12,000 BNB, 7.35 million BSC-USD and 83.9 billion SHIB, among other tokens; Polygon losses included MATIC, DAI, USDT and USDC.\n\nBlockchain security researchers PeckShield and ZachXBT first flagged the anomalous outflows. The breach was reportedly detected internally within about 20 minutes of the first unauthorised transaction, and Stake acknowledged it publicly about five hours after the attack. The attack involved direct transfers from hot wallets with no smart contract interaction, indicating probable compromise of private key material or transaction-signing credentials. Co-founder Ed Craven stated that 'private keys were not compromised but the attacker was able to make several unauthorised transactions from our hot wallets', characterising the breach as targeting the services used to authorise transactions; multiple security researchers disputed this, identifying private key leakage or unauthorised signing as the only technically coherent explanation. Halborn noted the incident illustrated the risk of controlling large holdings with a single private key set, creating a single point of failure. The precise root cause was never officially disclosed.","heading":"September 2023 Hot Wallet Breach","sources":[{"url":"https://hacken.io/discover/stake-com-hack-sep-2023/","name":"hacken.io","type":"research","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.halborn.com/blog/post/explained-the-stake-com-hack-september-2023","name":"halborn.com","type":"research","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/crypto-casino-stakecom-loses-41-million-to-hot-wallet-hackers/","name":"bleepingcomputer.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.dlnews.com/articles/defi/stake-co-founder-says-hacker-did-not-compromise-private-keys/","name":"dlnews.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-casino-stake-resume-services-hours-after-hack","name":"cointelegraph.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-identifies-lazarus-group-cyber-actors-as-responsible-for-theft-of-41-million-from-stakecom","name":"fbi.gov","type":"regulatory","credibility":3}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"On September 6, 2023, roughly 48 hours after the breach, the FBI issued a press release attributing the Stake.com theft to the Lazarus Group (APT38), a cyber unit operating under the direction of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The FBI published blockchain addresses used by the attackers and warned virtual asset service providers and financial institutions to treat transactions linked to them as high risk. Pages differ on the scope of that list: one describes addresses across Ethereum, BSC and Polygon, while the other describes 40 addresses across Ethereum and Bitcoin, both citing the FBI release.\n\nThe FBI placed the theft within a broader 2023 DPRK campaign that included approximately $100 million from Atomic Wallet (June 2, 2023) and approximately $60 million from Alphapo and CoinsPaid (July 22, 2023), with DPRK crypto theft in 2023 exceeding $200 million. TRM Labs separately corroborated the attribution through on-chain tracing. The Lazarus Group is widely regarded as the most prolific state-sponsored crypto theft actor, and North Korean operations against crypto platforms have been tracked by the US government, UN panels and private analytics firms since at least 2018. No criminal charges against specific individuals have been publicly announced in connection with the Stake breach.","heading":"FBI Attribution to Lazarus Group (DPRK)","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-identifies-lazarus-group-cyber-actors-as-responsible-for-theft-of-41-million-from-stakecom","name":"fbi.gov","type":"regulatory","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/fbi-confirms-that-north-korea-was-behind-41-million-stake-com-exploit","name":"trmlabs.com","type":"research","credibility":3},{"url":"https://decrypt.co/155360/fbi-says-north-koreas-lazarus-group-was-behind-41-million-stake-hack","name":"decrypt.co","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.securityweek.com/fbi-blames-north-korean-hackers-for-41-million-stake-com-heist/","name":"securityweek.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2023/09/07/north-koreas-lazarus-hackers-stoke-41-million-from-crypto-gambling-site-fbi-says","name":"coindesk.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/how-the-lazarus-group-is-stepping-up-crypto-hacks-and-changing-its-tactics","name":"elliptic.co","type":"research","credibility":3}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"Forensics firms including Hacken, TRM Labs, 0xScope and Merkle Science traced the stolen funds. Three primary attacker-controlled wallets were identified: 0x3130662aece32f05753d00a7b95c0444150bcd3c (Ethereum), 0x4464e91002c63a623a8a218bd5dd1f041b61ec04 (BSC) and 0xfe3f568d58919b14aff72bd3f14e6f55bec6c4e0 (Polygon). Funds were distributed from these wallets to multiple externally owned accounts. Within about two days, laundering began: Polygon assets were bridged to Avalanche via Squid Router, converted to wrapped Bitcoin and bridged to the Bitcoin network. TRM Labs described the pattern as consistent with known Lazarus techniques, noting a shift from the 2022 route (Tornado Cash, Ren Bridge, Bitcoin, ChipMixer) to a 2023 route (Avalanche Bridge, Sinbad mixer, Tron via SWFT Bridge, USDT liquidated through suspected OTC brokers). Post-attack reporting indicated about 72 BTC had been laundered, with remaining assets still held in attacker-controlled addresses.","heading":"On-Chain Tracing and Laundering","sources":[{"url":"https://hacken.io/discover/stake-com-hack-sep-2023/","name":"hacken.io","type":"research","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/fbi-confirms-that-north-korea-was-behind-41-million-stake-com-exploit","name":"trmlabs.com","type":"research","credibility":3},{"url":"https://medium.com/@0xscope_labs/0xscope-research-tracking-the-stake-com-hack-f73ffe52270b","name":"0xScope (Medium)","type":"research","credibility":3},{"url":"https://blog.merklescience.com/hacktrack/stake-suffers-38-million-hack","name":"Merkle Science","type":"research","credibility":3}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"Stake restored deposit and withdrawal functionality about five hours after the breach. Bitcoin, Litecoin, XRP and EVM wallets unaffected by the hack remained operational throughout. Stake asserted that user funds were secure because the affected wallets were operational hot wallets rather than custodial reserves, and said it absorbed the loss internally without material operational impact. In a post-incident Medium essay, Ed Craven said Stake was 'back and running exactly as it was' and that holding only a small fraction of reserves in hot wallets was a deliberate measure that limited the loss. The company never officially confirmed whether the root cause was private key theft, insider threat, supply chain compromise or a signing credential leak. The stolen funds are believed to have been substantially laundered, and none are reported recovered.","heading":"Incident Response and Recovery","sources":[{"url":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-casino-stake-resume-services-hours-after-hack","name":"cointelegraph.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://casinobeats.com/2023/09/05/stake-resumes-operations-41m-hack/","name":"casinobeats.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://medium.com/@edcraven22/always-moving-forward-reflections-on-the-recent-stake-com-exploit-431105710a2e","name":"Ed Craven (Medium)","type":"social_media","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.dlnews.com/articles/defi/stake-co-founder-says-hacker-did-not-compromise-private-keys/","name":"dlnews.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/crypto-casino-stakecom-loses-41-million-to-hot-wallet-hackers/","name":"bleepingcomputer.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3}],"severity":"medium"},{"content":"In April 2023, TGP Europe Limited, which operated Stake in the United Kingdom under a UK Gambling Commission license, was fined £316,250 for failures to meet anti-money laundering and social responsibility requirements. In February 2025, TGP Europe announced it would cease UK operations by March 11, 2025, amid a Gambling Commission investigation into a widely circulated social media video featuring the Stake brand adjacent to a UK university campus. The Commission had also written to Everton FC and other Premier League clubs with Stake sponsorships, warning club officers of potential criminal liability for promoting unlicensed gambling to Great Britain consumers. Stake described the exit as a strategic decision to pursue in-house local licensing in regulated markets such as Brazil and Italy rather than white-label arrangements.","heading":"UK Regulatory Action and Exit","sources":[{"url":"https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news/article/consumer-information-notice-stake-leaving-gb-market","name":"gamblingcommission.gov.uk","type":"regulatory","credibility":3},{"url":"https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/regulation/stake-uk-gambling-commission/","name":"igamingbusiness.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.affiversemedia.com/stake-to-exit-uk-market-following-gambling-commission-investigation/","name":"affiversemedia.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"In August 2025, Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto, with law firm Susman Godfrey, filed a civil complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court (case no. 25STCV25304) against Sweepsteaks Ltd. (operating as Stake.us), Easygo Group Holdings Pty Ltd., Medium Rare N.V., Kick Streaming Pty Ltd., co-founders Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, and game suppliers including Evolution AB, Pragmatic Play, Hacksaw Gaming and Red Tiger Gaming. The complaint alleges that Stake.us operates an illegal online gambling business in California under the guise of a free sweepstakes model, bundling entertainment-only Gold Coins with Stake Cash redeemable for cryptocurrency or gift cards. The City Attorney described it as the first US government civil enforcement action against an online sweepstakes casino operator.\n\nPrivate class actions were filed in Virginia, Missouri and Illinois in late 2025, alleging deceptive trade practices, illegal gambling promotion through celebrity endorsers Drake and Adin Ross, and restrictive playthrough requirements that impede withdrawals. An April 2026 article in Harvard's Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law described the class action litigation as carrying sweeping implications for the US social casino industry. The allegations have not been adjudicated.","heading":"US Litigation: California Civil Suit and Class Actions","sources":[{"url":"https://cityattorney.lacity.gov/updates/la-city-attorney-hydee-feldstein-soto-files-lawsuit-against-online-gambling-enterprise","name":"cityattorney.lacity.gov","type":"official","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.susmangodfrey.com/news/susman-godfrey-and-the-los-angeles-city-attorney-file-landmark-lawsuit-against-stake-us-on-behalf-of-the-people-of-the-state-of-california/","name":"susmangodfrey.com","type":"official","credibility":3},{"url":"https://quicktakes.loeb.com/post/102m1c5/class-action-targets-stakeus-drake-and-adin-ross-for-illegal-gambling-promotion","name":"quicktakes.loeb.com","type":"research","credibility":3},{"url":"https://journals.law.harvard.edu/jsel/2026/04/high-stakes-litigation-the-sweeping-implications-of-the-class-action-suit-against-stake-and-drake/","name":"journals.law.harvard.edu","type":"research","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.kctv5.com/2025/10/28/deliberate-deception-lawsuit-targets-stake-drake-alleged-illegal-gambling-scheme/","name":"kctv5.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"A 2024 US Department of Justice civil forfeiture complaint sought seizure of over $5 million in Bitcoin allegedly stolen through SIM-swapping attacks against five US victims between October 2022 and March 2023. The complaint traced the funds through multiple wallets to an account at Stake.com, where they were allegedly laundered via at least 32 circular deposit-and-withdrawal transactions. Stake.com was named as a platform through which funds were processed but was not accused of direct wrongdoing.\n\nInvestigative reporting by Reporter and The Guardian identified weak age verification and AML controls on Stake's crypto betting site, including allegations that Stake paid affiliate websites that promoted VPN use to circumvent geographic restrictions. Fincrime Central cited co-founder Bijan Tehrani's purchase of a $47 million US property as anomalous given the platform's prohibition from the US market.","heading":"AML Concerns and DOJ Forfeiture Case","sources":[{"url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/justice-department-seeks-forfeiture-over-5-million-bitcoin-stolen-sim-swapping-scams","name":"justice.gov","type":"court_filing","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.casino.org/news/stake-com-cited-as-doj-seeks-5-million-bitcoin-seizure-in-sim-swap-case/","name":"casino.org","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://reporter.london/490/","name":"reporter.london","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://fincrimecentral.com/stake-multi-billion-gambling-empire/","name":"fincrimecentral.com","type":"research","credibility":3}],"severity":"high"},{"content":"Stake entered a sponsorship with rapper Drake reported to be worth approximately $100 million per year, making him the first global recording artist to formally endorse an online casino. Drake frequently livestreamed large wagers, which critics alleged glamorised gambling to younger audiences. A Bloomberg Businessweek investigation alleged that Drake won slot games at roughly four times the rate of the average Stake user, raising questions about preferential outcomes. Drake later publicly criticised Stake, alleging that four withdrawal attempts were blocked without explanation and sharing customer service screenshots on Instagram. Multiple lawsuits name Drake and streamer Adin Ross as defendants alongside Stake.us, alleging illegal marketing of gambling to US consumers. Stake's sponsorship of Everton FC drew scrutiny from the UK Gambling Commission, as described above.","heading":"Celebrity Endorsements and the Drake Controversy","sources":[{"url":"https://igamingexpert.com/news/affiliates/stake-drake-accusations/","name":"igamingexpert.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://blockworks.com/news/drake-endorsed-crypto-gambling-firm-stake-lawsuit","name":"blockworks.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/980636-drake-exposed-winning-unrealistic-games-stake","name":"hotnewhiphop.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.vibe105to.com/drake-cuts-ties-with-stake-after-withdrawal-dispute/","name":"vibe105to.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3}],"severity":"medium"},{"content":"In October 2022, Twitch banned Stake.com from advertising following pressure from streamers including Pokimane, who argued the site lacked adequate consumer protections. Craven and Tehrani then launched Kick, a competing livestreaming platform, in January 2023 (described as within two months of the ban). Kick and Stake share a Melbourne headquarters, executives and employees and sit within the Easygo group; one page describes Stake itself as Kick's parent company. Kick offers streamers a 95/5 revenue split versus Twitch's 50/50 standard, and gambling content remains prominent on it. Industry observers characterised Kick as a vertical integration move to retain promotional reach after losing Twitch's audience. Kick Streaming Pty Ltd. is a co-defendant in the 2025 Los Angeles civil suit.","heading":"Kick Streaming Platform and Twitch Ban","sources":[{"url":"https://kotaku.com/twitch-kick-stake-gambling-trainwreck-crypto-1849863856","name":"kotaku.com","type":"news_article","credibility":3},{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick_(service)","name":"Wikipedia: Kick (service)","type":"other","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.streamscheme.com/who-owns-kick-streaming/","name":"streamscheme.com","type":"other","credibility":3},{"url":"https://fincrimecentral.com/stake-multi-billion-gambling-empire/","name":"fincrimecentral.com","type":"research","credibility":3}],"severity":"medium"},{"content":"Taken together, the record points to several risks for users. The 2023 breach was, as of 2023, the largest publicly attributed hack of a crypto gambling platform, carried out by a state-sponsored adversary, and its root cause was never officially disclosed, leaving open how complete any remediation was. Hot wallet exposure across several networks at once shows the custody risk of high-volume crypto gambling platforms, and the attack's speed (minutes across multiple chains, with laundering under way within about 48 hours) shows such platforms remain priority targets for state-level actors. Stake operates under a Curacao license in a jurisdiction long associated with weak enforcement, faces reported access from blocked jurisdictions via VPN, and is subject to ongoing US litigation and past UK AML sanctions. Users of crypto gambling platforms generally operate outside consumer-fund protection frameworks, and losses from hacks or insolvency may carry no legal recourse.","heading":"Risk Factors","sources":[{"url":"https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-identifies-lazarus-group-cyber-actors-as-responsible-for-theft-of-41-million-from-stakecom","name":"fbi.gov","type":"regulatory","credibility":3},{"url":"https://fincrimecentral.com/stake-multi-billion-gambling-empire/","name":"fincrimecentral.com","type":"research","credibility":3},{"url":"https://www.elliptic.co/blog/how-the-lazarus-group-is-stepping-up-crypto-hacks-and-changing-its-tactics","name":"elliptic.co","type":"research","credibility":3},{"url":"https://coincub.com/blog/curacao-gaming-license/","name":"coincub.com","type":"research","credibility":3}],"severity":"medium"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2013","event":"Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani launch Primedice, a cryptocurrency dice game.","source":"Wikipedia: Ed Craven","source_url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Craven"},{"date":"2016","event":"Craven and Tehrani found Easygo, an online casino games studio and corporate precursor to Stake.com.","source":"Wikipedia: Ed Craven","source_url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Craven"},{"date":"2017-08","event":"Stake.com launches as a crypto casino and sportsbook under a Curacao license, operated by Medium Rare N.V.","source":"Wikipedia: Stake (online casino)","source_url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stake_(online_casino)"},{"date":"2022-10","event":"Twitch bans Stake.com from advertising on its platform, citing lack of consumer protections.","source":"kotaku.com","source_url":"https://kotaku.com/twitch-kick-stake-gambling-trainwreck-crypto-1849863856"},{"date":"2023","event":"Stake co-founders launch the Kick streaming platform as a Twitch competitor.","source":"Wikipedia: Kick (service)","source_url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kick_(service)"},{"date":"2023-04","event":"UK Gambling Commission fines TGP Europe (Stake's UK operator) £316,250 for AML and social responsibility failures.","source":"igamingbusiness.com","source_url":"https://igamingbusiness.com/legal-compliance/regulation/stake-uk-gambling-commission/"},{"date":"2023-09","event":"About $41 million (Beosin: $41.35 million) is drained from Stake.com hot wallets on Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain and Polygon; the breach is detected internally within about 20 minutes.","source":"hacken.io","source_url":"https://hacken.io/discover/stake-com-hack-sep-2023/"},{"date":"2023-09","event":"Stake restores deposits and withdrawals about five hours after the breach; Ed Craven states user funds are safe.","source":"cointelegraph.com","source_url":"https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-casino-stake-resume-services-hours-after-hack"},{"date":"2023-09","event":"FBI attributes the theft to North Korea's Lazarus Group (APT38) and publishes associated blockchain addresses.","source":"fbi.gov","source_url":"https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-identifies-lazarus-group-cyber-actors-as-responsible-for-theft-of-41-million-from-stakecom"},{"date":"2023-09","event":"TRM Labs publishes on-chain analysis corroborating the FBI attribution and documenting multi-chain laundering consistent with Lazarus Group techniques.","source":"trmlabs.com","source_url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/fbi-confirms-that-north-korea-was-behind-41-million-stake-com-exploit"},{"date":"2023-09","event":"Ed Craven publishes post-incident reflections on Medium, stating private keys were not directly compromised and that Stake absorbed the loss.","source":"Ed Craven (Medium)","source_url":"https://medium.com/@edcraven22/always-moving-forward-reflections-on-the-recent-stake-com-exploit-431105710a2e"},{"date":"2024","event":"DOJ civil forfeiture complaint names Stake.com as a platform through which SIM-swap-derived stolen Bitcoin was allegedly laundered via circular transactions.","source":"justice.gov","source_url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/justice-department-seeks-forfeiture-over-5-million-bitcoin-stolen-sim-swapping-scams"},{"date":"2024-12","event":"Curacao's National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK) enters into force, introducing direct Curacao Gaming Authority licensing and supervision.","source":"coincub.com","source_url":"https://coincub.com/blog/curacao-gaming-license/"},{"date":"2025-02","event":"Stake announces its exit from the UK market amid a Gambling Commission investigation; UK operations to cease March 11, 2025.","source":"gamblingcommission.gov.uk","source_url":"https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news/article/consumer-information-notice-stake-leaving-gb-market"},{"date":"2025-08","event":"Los Angeles City Attorney files a civil complaint against Stake.us, Easygo, Medium Rare, Kick, Ed Craven, Bijan Tehrani and game suppliers for alleged illegal gambling in California.","source":"cityattorney.lacity.gov","source_url":"https://cityattorney.lacity.gov/updates/la-city-attorney-hydee-feldstein-soto-files-lawsuit-against-online-gambling-enterprise"},{"date":"2025-10","event":"Class action filed in Missouri naming Stake.us, Drake and Adin Ross for alleged deceptive gambling promotion.","source":"kctv5.com","source_url":"https://www.kctv5.com/2025/10/28/deliberate-deception-lawsuit-targets-stake-drake-alleged-illegal-gambling-scheme/"},{"date":"2025-12","event":"Class action filed in Virginia federal court against Stake.us, Drake and Adin Ross alleging illegal online gambling.","source":"quicktakes.loeb.com","source_url":"https://quicktakes.loeb.com/post/102m1c5/class-action-targets-stakeus-drake-and-adin-ross-for-illegal-gambling-promotion"},{"date":"2026-04","event":"Harvard Journal of Sports and Entertainment Law publishes an analysis of the Stake class action litigation.","source":"journals.law.harvard.edu","source_url":"https://journals.law.harvard.edu/jsel/2026/04/high-stakes-litigation-the-sweeping-implications-of-the-class-action-suit-against-stake-and-drake/"}],"sources_used":[{"url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stake_(online_casino)","name":"Wikipedia: Stake (online casino)","type":"other","archive_url":"http://web.archive.org/web/20260819095556/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stake_(online_casino)","credibility":3,"archive_timestamp":"2026-08-19T09:55:56+00:00"},{"url":"https://stake.com/licenses","name":"stake.com 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