Stay updated on how Stake’s affiliate marketing strategies are impacting X and other major social platforms amid regulatory scrutiny.
Key Takeaways
- Stake has intensified its affiliate-driven marketing on X, with its logo now widespread across meme accounts.
- The crypto casino’s promotional tactics have drawn regulatory attention, leading to its exit from the UK market.
- Stake’s approach is now extending to other platforms, broadening its reach in the online gambling sector.
Stake’s Affiliate Marketing Floods X with Gambling Ads
Stake’s Expansion Through Viral Content
Stake, an online sports betting and casino platform founded in Australia in 2017 by Edward Craven and Bijan Tehrani, has become a notable presence on X (formerly Twitter) through an aggressive affiliate marketing campaign. The platform, which operates out of Curaçao and allows users to gamble with cryptocurrency, has leveraged popular meme accounts to increase its visibility. These accounts, often recycling viral content, feature the Stake logo on their posts, effectively turning them into promotional channels for the crypto casino.
Partnerships and Marketing Reach
Stake’s marketing efforts extend beyond X. The company has established partnerships with former Twitch streamers such as xQC and Adin Ross, who now broadcast on Kick, a streaming platform owned by Stake. Stake is also an official partner of the UFC, sponsors Sauber Motorsport’s Formula One team, and has a promotional relationship with Drake. In 2022, Stake entered the Premier League by sponsoring Everton’s jerseys, but this partnership ended by February 2025 after the UK Gambling Commission initiated an investigation into Stake’s advertising practices, as reported by The Athletic.
Regulatory Challenges and Advertising Practices
The investigation into Stake’s UK operations was prompted by a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority. The complaint cited a Stake advertisement appearing in a video featuring English pornstar Bonnie Blue, raising concerns about UK regulations prohibiting gambling ads linked to seduction or content appealing to young audiences. This scrutiny led to Stake withdrawing from the UK market.
Affiliate Tactics and Platform Policy Loopholes
Reports from 404 Media and Slate in late 2024 highlighted Stake’s deals with content aggregators on X, who are paid to include the Stake logo on their posts. This approach has resulted in high-visibility, low-effort advertising that takes advantage of X’s algorithm, which favors content from subscribed users. Additionally, Stake has benefited from X’s Community Notes system, where explanations about Stake—sometimes including direct links to its website—have inadvertently boosted its exposure.
X’s policies explicitly prohibit undisclosed gambling advertising and offshore casino promotions. However, Stake-affiliated accounts have adjusted by adding disclaimers such as “Gamble Responsibly” or #AD to their posts, aiming for compliance while maintaining visibility. According to Slate, the account @FearedBuck, previously focused on the Milwaukee Bucks, became central to this campaign before halting activity following concerns about potential FTC violations.
Cross-Platform Expansion
In December, Elon Musk responded by suspending several accounts accused of manipulating X’s platform to promote Stake ads. Despite this, new accounts continue to emerge, perpetuating the campaign. The strategy has now expanded beyond X, with meme accounts reposting Stake-branded content on Instagram Reels and Facebook, further extending the reach of Stake’s affiliate marketing in the online gambling industry.
Stake’s ongoing tactics highlight the evolving relationship between affiliate marketing and regulatory oversight in the gambling sector, with its cross-platform approach setting a precedent for other casino affiliates.
I remember the first time I saw Kai Tak, Hong Kong’s gambling city, I thought I was in a fairy tale. All the lights blinking, the music and the monumental buildings, what 9-year-old wouldn’t think they’ve come to a magical place? It was my father who brought me, dragging me along and when inside I was hit by the smell of frying duck. As soon as I hit 21 I returned to Kai Tak, A bit nervous to see if my mind had embellished the memory, but it hadn’t. Kai Tak was still a magical place. I decided I wanted to spend as much time as I could at this place, so I did.
