When Drake rapped that he’s getting so rich, his music is no longer relatable on his verse-of-the-year-contender on Jack Harlow’s “Churchill Downs,” it was something that was long overdue for him to publicly acknowledge. He’s been the biggest name in music for over a decade now and his legendary run is showing no sign of slowing down, as he soaks in the love (and some hate, as always) from his seventh studio album, the surprise-dropped dance project, Honestly, Nevermind. As he continues to rake in revenue from his music’s streams, his OVO clothing brand, his Virginia Black whiskey, being the global ambassador for the Toronto Raptors and other business ventures, he’s recently joined in on the new sports gambling craze, which has seen a major spike in popularity throughout the past couple of years. Ever since he partnered with online casino Stake in March, he’s been flexing his bets of hundreds of thousands of dollars, which have sometimes paid off and sometimes just been flushed down the drain.
So how much has Drake won and lost with his Stake venture thus far? It’s hard to come up with an exact number, but here’s a look at some of the biggest bets he’s placed recently.
His 2022 bet slips started with Super Bowl LVI, which saw the L.A. Rams taking on the Cincinnati Bengals, in which he placed three different bets, collectively putting over one million dollars on the line. He bet $393,000 (U.S.) on his buddy Odell Beckham Jr. to score a touchdown anytime in the game, which was successful and paid him out $711,000 (U.S.) However, he also put down $393,000 on OBJ to record over 62.5 recording yards, which didn’t hit, as he suffered a knee injury and left the game with 52 yards. Drake also bet $471,000 on the Rams money line, which paid out $712,000. All in all, he profited around $166,00 on Super Bowl night. I’d say that’s a pretty good night.
Other bets that Drake has put down include losing $275,000 on UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal and losing $314,000 on a three-legged money line parlay on a night where, if the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Blue Jays and Dallas Mavericks all won, he would’ve walked away with $1.73 million. Unfortunately this didn’t happen. He did however, see another $1 million payday when the Golden State Warriors became the 2022 NBA Champions.
He even made an appearance at the Churchill Downs for the 148th running of the Kentucky derby to not only shoot a music video with Jack Harlow, but also to throw down $500 on Rich Strike, a horse whose odds were 80-1, to steal the show. Rich Strike did just that and pulled off the second biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history and profited Drake nearly $7,000.
Drake has also done a couple of livestreams via Twitch in partnership with Stake, in which he has both made money and lost significant amounts. In a livestream earlier this year, he handed out $1 million in bitcoin to viewers and it was reported that although winning $18 million on the roulette wheel at one point, he still ended the night down $20 million. Yes, you read that right.
At the end of the day, Drake has a wild track record when it comes to gambling and sports betting, but it’s clear that he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Losing hundreds of thousands of dollars on any given night sounds like an absolute nightmare to most of us, but for someone who’s worth an estimated $250 million (I reckon this figure is actually much higher), the dent is rather miniscule.
Remember to enjoy gambling and sports betting responsibly, and remember that Drake has much more money than you. Only bet what you can afford to lose. If you or someone you know is struggling with a gambling addiction, a number of Canadian resources can be found here. For more information on gambling addictions, a help guide can be found here.