Stake logo appears in Trump’s White House post

• President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image on Truth Social on April 9 that tagged offshore gaming platform Stake, which holds no US gaming license.
• Stake’s UK white-label operation was shut down by March 11, 2025, following a UK Gambling Commission investigation, and the operator faces lawsuits in multiple US states alleging illegal gambling.
• The post coincides with broader conflict-of-interest concerns over the Trump administration’s stance on prediction markets, with Donald Trump Jr. serving as a paid advisor to Kalshi and an investor and advisor to rival Polymarket.

President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, April 9, that tagged offshore crypto casino Stake alongside UFC CEO Dana White outside the White House.

The image depicted the pair outside an empty octagon on the south lawn, lightning striking in the background. Trump captioned the post “Soon,” referencing a UFC event scheduled for the White House lawn on June 14.

Whether Trump intended to promote Stake in the post is unconfirmed. He publishes multiple original posts and reposts on Truth Social daily, and subsequently shared an AI-generated video of his face on the moon carrying the same caption.

Stake’s US legal exposure

Covers.com, which first reported the post, noted that the image raised the profile of one of the world’s largest unlicensed gaming platforms operating in the United States. Stake is not licensed to offer online casino gaming or sports betting in any US jurisdiction.

In August 2025, attorneys general from all 50 states urged the US Department of Justice to crack down on offshore online gambling sites including Stake. States such as Arizona and Louisiana have issued cease-and-desist orders against the platform.

At least six federal civil lawsuits against the operator were filed in 2025 alone, with plaintiffs alleging it operates an illegal online casino via its US sweepstakes brand Stake.us.

Stake has become a constant presence on social media through sponsored content partnerships with hundreds of digital influencers, including streamer Adin Ross and rapper Drake.

A Bloomberg Businessweek investigation published in February 2026 analyzed approximately 1,500 hours of Kick livestreams from 25 gamblers and found that when Drake played Easygo-owned slots, he hit payouts of 1,000 times or more his base bet roughly four times as frequently as the average rate across the sample, at approximately once every 2,500 spins compared with every 10,000 spins.

Stake called the findings “categorically incorrect” and disputed the methodology, arguing that comparing win rates across different games ignores differences in game mathematics. The operator did not provide its own player win-rate data in response.

UK exit and regulatory record

The UK Gambling Commission issued a consumer notice in February 2025 that Stake.uk.com would no longer be a licensed website, with the final shutdown of the Great Britain site taking place by March 11, 2025. The exit followed a Commission investigation into a video distributed widely on social media displaying Stake’s logo and featuring an adult entertainment actress outside Nottingham Trent University.

In a statement at the time, a Stake spokesperson said:

“Stake has made a strategic decision in mutual agreement with TGP Europe to exit white-label agreements and focus on securing local licenses through our in-house platform and operations, building upon our growth in key regulated markets such as our recent expansions into Italy and Brazil.”

Regulated gaming companies and the American Gaming Association have lobbied the administration to exercise federal authority to crack down on unlicensed operators. Individual states, which hold most authority over gambling within their borders, are limited by financial and legal constraints from removing many offshore platforms.

Critics of offshore sites argue these platforms offer no consumer protections or responsible gambling support, and unlike regulated operators, are not required to pass licensing requirements or pay taxes and fees.

Prediction markets conflict

The post arrives as the administration’s relationship with the broader online gaming landscape draws scrutiny.

Donald Trump Jr. joined Polymarket’s advisory board in August 2025 as part of a strategic investment by his venture capital firm 1789 Capital, terms of which were not disclosed. His role at rival platform Kalshi is a separate paid advisory position, not reflective of an investment.

Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour has stated publicly that Trump Jr. has made no regulatory asks on the company’s behalf.

CFTC Chairman Mike Selig, appointed by Trump, has said he hopes prediction markets will flourish under his watch and that the agency is pursuing a more free-market approach than the Biden administration.

The CFTC filed suits against Arizona, Connecticut, and Illinois on April 2, asserting exclusive federal authority over prediction market operators. Kalshi was separately ordered to geofence Nevada following a court ruling on April 3.

Whether the renewed attention on Stake translates into any federal enforcement action remains an open question. For regulated operators and state gaming commissions, the administration’s posture toward unlicensed online gaming will be a defining issue as prediction market litigation continues to escalate.