Perhaps Drake should leave gambling to the pros. On July 19, the hitmaker behind “One Dance” and “Hotline Bling” revealed he had wagered a whopping $1.5 million on Lionel Messi and Argentina to repeat as World Cup champions. The bet didn’t pay off. After a hard-fought final, Spain—powered by 19-year-old Lamine Yamal—claimed the title, ending Argentina’s bid to go back-to-back and handing Drake another high-profile betting loss.
Drake shared a picture of his Stake bet slip on Instagram, revealing that he wagered $1.5 million on Argentina to take home the win during the World Cup final. “What’s that saying??? Better luck next time… say less,” Drake captioned the post. If the bet had been successful, Drake would’ve cashed out more than $5 million. However, Spain shut the door on Argentina’s title defense, leaving the rapper’s seven-figure wager dead in the water.
Messi, regarded as the world’s best football player, was in tears after his team’s loss. Had the Argentinians won, they would’ve been the first team to go back-to-back since Brazil in 1962. “I hope that everyone feels proud of him, of what he’s achieved because he’s the best football player ever stepping foot on a pitch,” Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni said.
Was this Messi’s final game in an Argentina jersey? That is yet to be seen. However, it seems more and more likely that the 39-year-old will hang up his cleats for good, considering he said his last World Cup was in 2022.
This Isn’t The First Time Drake Has Lost Money Betting On Sports
Drake is used to winning, but he’s also used to losing. According to The Blast, the rapper lost $400,000 back in February 2023 after betting on YouTuber Jake Paul to win a fight against Tommy Fury.
Again, the “Shabang” rapper shared a picture of his bet slip on his social media profile, revealing that had the fight gone his way, he would’ve been $1 million richer.
In 2024, he got a taste of victory when he bet $1.15 million on the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl, which they did. “I can’t bet against the swifties,” the rapper captioned the Instagram post.
Drake Is Partnered With Stake
Drake is often promoting his Stake bets on his social media accounts, which makes sense given that he partnered with the company back in 2022.
Stake’s co-founder, Ed Craven, opened up about the collaboration in a previous interview and shared that he was thrilled to be working with the “Dust” performer.
“Drake has been an active member of our global community for a few months now, so the next step and natural evolution in the relationship was for us to collaborate on a stream,” Craven said. “We share the same love for crypto, gambling and community and are like-minded fans of the technology and culture at the forefront of this movement.”
Earlier this year, a woman sued Stake and named Drake and streamer Adin Ross in the filing, claiming they’ve allegedly exposed them to the “substantial risks of gambling addiction” and claimed customers were “influenced to participate” in Stake’s “predatorial gambling environment.”
Drizzy Opened Up About Gambling With This NBA Champion
Drake isn’t the only celebrity who likes to gamble. In the past, the rapper opened up about gambling tens of thousands of dollars with NBA champion Michael Jordan.
Drake said that Jordan loves to gamble as much as he does and would “gamble on anything,” adding that he previously beat Jordan at ping-pong, and the Chicago Bulls star just wouldn’t give up.
“He just kept betting me, like, bands,” said Drake. “10 bands, 20 bands. Just kept betting because he just couldn’t stomach the loss, you know?”
He Also Had A ‘Crazy’ Night At This Famous Restaurant
Drake also recalled the one time he had a “crazy” night betting at Dave & Buster’s, revealing he hit “like eight out of 10 numbers” while playing roulette.
“I think by the end of the night, we had won like 38 million? 40 million? Yeah, $40 million,” he said.
“It’s crazy, the craziest night ever gambling for sure. January of 2024, it was crazy. That’s not even the word for it,” he added.
