Stake Owner Sued for Encouraging Gambling Addiction of 17-Year-Old Player
A Swedish player named Chris filed a lawsuit against Stake co-owner Ed Craven, seeking to recover $1.5 million lost on the site between 2020 and 2024.
Start of Gambling Addiction and VIP Status
Craven personally contacted Chris in the summer of 2020, when the teenager was 17 years old. By that time, he had lost over $150,000 within a few months and received a special bonus from Craven as a key player for the platform.
In October 2020, Chris informed Craven that he had lost €2.3 million on Bitcasino. Correspondence between them from 2020 to 2024 showed that Chris played multiple roles: client, collaborator, informant, and rule-breaker. Throughout their communication, signs of serious gambling issues in the young player became apparent.
VIP Privileges and Circumventing Self-Exclusion
In 2021, Chris attempted self-exclusion and asked Craven to help bypass the block. Initially, Craven replied that it was not a good idea, but he soon approved VIP privileges on a new account allegedly for a friend of Chris. In total, Chris created seven accounts, each receiving VIP benefits directly from Craven.
Chris frequently reported his losses in blackjack and slots, requested partial refunds, and Craven continued providing bonuses and financial support. He even advised playing smaller bets to extend the sessions while promoting the casino to other players.
Growth of the Stake Online Empire
Stake actively developed its marketing strategy by involving streamers and celebrities. In 2020, Craven hired the company’s first marketer, who proposed partnering with people streaming games on Twitch. This brought a steady flow of new players and boosted the platform’s popularity among younger audiences.
Affiliate System and Influence on Players
Chris participated in the affiliate program, earning a percentage of deposits from his followers. This turned him into a promoter of the casino while worsening his gambling addiction. Other streamers faced similar issues, including committing fraud to cover gambling losses and debts.
Impact of the Pandemic on Gambling Growth
The 2020 pandemic created favorable conditions for online casinos. Millions of people stayed at home with access to funds from various government programs, which fueled the growth of Stake and other online platforms. This coincided with signing celebrities as brand ambassadors, including Drake, attracting even more players.
Legal Dispute and Positions of the Parties
In 2025, Chris filed a lawsuit seeking to recover $1.5 million lost on Stake. He used the correspondence with Craven as evidence that the company had exploited his gambling addiction. In response, Stake lawyers claimed that Chris was a professional player who was trying to use the “addiction card” to reclaim his losses.
Stake stated that monitoring player patterns did not show signs of addiction and that Chris had overall made a profit, including a $2.2 million win in November 2023. According to the company, lost funds can only be refunded if the games were rigged.
Craven’s Behavior and Interaction with Chris
The correspondence shows that Craven continued providing bonuses and VIP privileges despite being aware of Chris’s gambling issues. He even helped the teenager transfer perks to new accounts, allowing Chris to keep playing and earning from recruiting other players.
Chris admits that at the time he did not consider his role in promoting the casino, but now recognizes that his actions were part of Stake’s marketing strategy. Their last exchange in November 2024 concerned a $700,000 loss in blackjack and a request to recover a portion of it.