Drake and Bruno Mars: Celebrity influence and love for gambling

Drake and Bruno Mars have been the centre of attention for quite some time. Multiple hits, numerous awards, worldwide fame and huge fortunes are all that goes along with being some of the biggest pop and rap stars in the world.

The tie between celebrities and gambling is tight; there are numerous examples of famous people who love to spend their free time playing poker, placing bets, or hosting high-stakes tournaments. But what exactly is Drake and Bruno Mars' connection to cryptocurrency and casinos?

Let's explore these crazy stories and couple them with some interesting facts to give you the full scoop:

Drake and Stake: A profitable partnership

The Canadian rapper is widely known for his chart-topping hits. Though, Drake is currently also hitting the charts in the crypto gambling arena. The singer's partnership with the crypto gambling platform Stake Casino has placed him at the forefront of the iGaming world. For a while now, Drake has been noticed placing bets worth millions on major sporting events and engaging with fans through live streams.

Recently, a drone captured footage of Drake in Sydney with his laptop opened on the Stake website page. However, many argued that the entire scene was a promotional stunt for the platform. If so, people still concluded that it was an innovative and unconventional move and, overall, a good marketing strategy from Drake and the Stake team.

He even has a story highlight named Stake.com, featuring his own gambling ventures and promos to the crypto platform.

To further strengthen its ties with the crypto gambling industry, Drake announced the “Anita Max Win Tour”. The tour is named after its gambling alter ego, the "Anita Max Wynn" character, first introduced by the singer during a live stream in December 2023.

The character's name is a pun on the gambling phrase "I need a max win," which refers to the maximum payout on a slot machine.

Like his music career, Drake's gambling activities have been nothing short of thrilling, with numerous bets on sports, significant wins, and notable losses. Drake's bets are most commonly connected to sports.

He is known for placing massive wagers on big tournaments and events like the Super Bowl. Let's take a brief look at some of the highlights:

• In 2022, he bet $1.25 million on the Los Angeles Rams, which won him a $300,000 profit.
• The following year, he wagered $700,000 on the Kansas City Chiefs, earning a $1.48 million return.
• In 2024, he increased his bet to $1.15 million, which resulted in an impressive $2.34 million win.

Bruno Mars: Deflecting gambling speculation with humour

In contrast to Drake's public gambling activities, the American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars has been more of a subject of speculations and gambling-related rumours. Reports surfaced alleging that Mars had amassed a $50 million gambling debt with MGM Resorts.

However, MGM has refuted the claims, stating that their relationship with Mars is built on mutual respect and denied any financial disputes.

Recently, the multi-talented artist became the first to surpass 150 million monthly streams on Spotify. A huge milestone like this one proves his status as a global music icon and serves as a testament to his music's appeal across diverse audiences.

He went even further by singing during one of his shows: "Ever since those articles came out about me owing the casino money, you stopped picking up my calls." He jokingly spoke into a prop phone, "It's me, baby. I got money."

Blurring the lines

Gambling platforms, especially the top crypto casinos, continue to build relationships with celebrities in mainstream entertainment industries. Influencer marketing, in this case, celebrities and their huge fan bases, plays an important role in shaping the public's perception, opinion, and actions.

The promotional power of celebrity influence is evident in partnerships such as the one between Drake and Stake. However, this also sheds light on the grey areas of online and crypto gambling regulatory systems. Gambling ads are increasingly restricted in most major markets worldwide, though does this cover entirely promotional actions and materials featuring celebrities?