Music and sports are two different players in the entertainment field. However, some pop stars are big fans of betting, and one of them is Drake.
Sometimes, the Canadian rapper is lucky with his betting on sports and casino games. Other times, he loses a significant amount. To tell you more about the ups and downs of Drake’s gambling journey, we created this article with insights from CasinoTop.co.nz experts who are known as professionals in the field of gambling and betting. So, the details about Drake’s sports betting habits and wagering records are up-to-date and accurate. Keep reading to learn more.
Drake’s Gambling Hobby
Drake’s gambling interests span across American leagues like the NFL and NBA. The famous rapper also wagers on international sports, including the UFC and Formula 1. Besides betting on sports, Drake also turns to online casino games. However, he rarely uses slot spins or compares cards. Instead, his favorite is the roulette table game he plays on the renowned Stake.com website.
The well-known rapper has recorded some of his biggest wins with casino bets on live streams. For instance, in May 2023, he landed over $17 million with one roulette spin. Still, there’s the case of the famous Drake’s Curse. From the narrative, any team the Canadian rapper supports ends up losing. His setbacks in most sports events have continued to fuel the would-be superstition.
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Losses are still part of the picture, regardless. The same month he won $17 million, the rapper lost over $660,000 on Formula 1 and UFC bets. Notably, Drake has recorded the most unsuccessful rounds when wagering on sports. The only exception is the $25 million loss to French Montana, which happened in a roulette game.
Here’s a rundown of his total victories and bad luck so far:
- Total Wins: CA$101.9 million ($76.4 million)
- Total Losses: CA$39.5 million ($29.6 million)
Huge UFC Betting Stories
Drake’s story with UFC betting doesn’t begin well. He wagered $275,000 in Jorge Masvidal winning against Colby Covington in March 2022, but the result wasn’t favorable. Otherwise, he would have pocketed a $1.03 million sum.
In May, a similar event occurred. This time, Drake bet on Charles Oliveira to lose against Justin Gaethje, and the result was the reverse. He dropped $427,000 on this venture.
By July, things began to take a good turn. That month, Drake wagered $136,000 against Israel Adesanya, and the Nigerian heavyweight came through. When the bets were settled, he got $897,000.
The “God’s Plan” singer would record an even bigger $3.7 million win ten days later. He took a higher risk, as Drake spent $2.2 million on Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann. Drake was impressed with his green ticket and appreciated both fighters with a Rolex watch.
In August, the bad luck returned. Drake’s bets on Kamaru Usman and Jose Aldo to emerge victorious weren’t successful, and he lost $430,000. Again, he wagered $2 million on Adesanya to beat Alex Pereira in November and wasn’t lucky.
World Cup 2022: $1m on Argentina
The World Cup final in December 2022 rocked the betting world. Many gamblers went with the former champions, France, and others backed the greatest player of all time, Messi. Drake was part of the latter, and it was one time the Drake Curse did manifest.
The rapper is often fond of posting his gambling activities, and he did so on Twitter a day before the final. He bet $1 million for Argentina to win—in average time. During the game, Argentina was two goals ahead until about 10 minutes from the end. Then, Mbappe equalized with two goals and sent the match into extra-time.
Since Argentina didn’t win in 90 minutes, Drake lost a potential $2.75 million win. Argentina would later go on to win the game on penalties. Many football fans agree the Drake Curse was why the Messi-led team fell short towards the end of standard time.
A “cruel joke” from Barcelona and Spotify
Around September 2022, Drake became the first artist to record 50 billion streams on Spotify. The music streaming platform moved to celebrate the achievement. Since Spotify is the principal partner of FC Barcelona, the company got the club to wear the OVO logo for their El Classico game against Real Madrid in mid-October 2022.
Already, the speculation was that Barcelona would lose due to the Drake Curse. Indeed, the curse came through as the Catalan club lost 3-1 against their arch-rivals. While it may appear like a joke, it gave fans confirmation that the curse is genuine.
Successful Wager on American Sports
Rap superstar Drake has found more success when betting on American sports. Around February 2022, he won over $537 thousand with wagers on the Rams to win and on Odell Beckham Jr. to make a touchdown anytime. By April, the betting Drake made on Drake London, his namesake, was favorable, and the rapper won $235,000.
As the 2022 NFL season kicked off, Drake placed many stakes. His only significant loss was a $208,000 bet on the Miami Dolphins in September. Two months later, the singer landed $2 million with just $287,000.
Besides the NFL, Drake has had luck with baseball, hockey, and basketball bets. A notable win for the “One Dance” star was a combined sum of $729,440 from bets on the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks. His most significant came from a Game 7 parley win. Drake staked $309,000 on 8.64 total odds and took home over $2.3 million.
However, in 2023, things are taking an unfavorable turn. In February, reports were that the pop star wagered up to $1 million on seven Super Bowl bets. Drake won just one.
Partnership with Online Casino
Drake is currently in a partnership with Stake.com. Occasionally, the famous rapper hosts live events, usually for casino marketing. The possibilities are tagged “Drake vs. Stake,” participants get exclusive access to Drake’s roulette gameplay.
The rapper Drake has been a part of the crypto casino since 2021. He signed up with the username “DeepPocket6,” but it wasn’t hard for the platform to recognize he was a high roller. Drake wagered cryptocurrency bets of up to $1 billion in just two months.
According to Stake, Drake fell in love with the benefits of the casino’s VIP program. That was when the big gambling brand decided to onboard the rap star as an official partner.
Is it worth trusting Drake’s bets?
Drake undoubtedly enjoys gambling but hasn’t had much success with the endeavor. From his history, the famous artist isn’t exactly an “expert” in making the right wagers. If anything, Drake is simply a fan of the entertainment that comes with online gambling.
Winning up to $17 million in live roulette may suggest he has had better luck with casino games than betting on sports. However, it is a rare chance to win such a high amount. Also, Drake has a lot of money, so his substantial losses may not affect his pockets. He’s not someone a regular gambler should imitate unless they can wager up to $1 billion in two months.
