How One Emotional Bet Cost Drake $500,000 in Bitcoin

We often see celebrities losing insane amounts of money playing Crash games, blackjack, video slots and betting on their favourite teams. Whether it's Bruno Mars losing $50 million in Vegas or Connor McGregor wagering $1 million live on stream, celebrity gambling is known for excess, not a model we recommend for players looking to enjoy games of chance and keep their bank balance in check.

 Drake Drops $500K BTC in a Single Bet

The famous singer and songwriter is known for creating catchy music and regularly losing a lot of money with Stake Casino. This week, the headstrong gambler made news again for placing an astounding Bitcoin bet on the Dallas Mavericks.

While betting $500,000 BTC on your favourite team might not be something any of us will do in our lifetimes, what is more outrageous is that his team's loss was almost guaranteed. You see, the bet was on the Mavericks vs. Celtics for Game 5 of the NBA finals—and the Celtics were playing at home and had a 3-1 lead in the series.

Leading up to game night, the Celtics were the odds-on favourites to win at -3000, while the Mavericks limped in at +1300.

The betting slip Drake posted online shows that he stood to turn his $500,000 into $1,375,000 thanks to the 2.75 odds. He even took to social media to defend the stake, saying, "Dallas because I’m a Texan. Oilers are self-explanatory.”

When the inevitable occurred, and Boston clinched the win, the avid Texan and part-time friend with money found his bankroll down another half a million dollars. Was it worth the loss to show support for your home team or a wasteful indulgence? You decide.

Celebrities and Gambling: The Ongoing Debate

One question that this type of high roller, high-risk gambling poses is whether gambling jurisdictions like the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy, which have banned celebrity gambling endorsements and cracked down on social media, were correct in doing so.

There are people of all ages and of all socio-economic statuses who follow Drake on social media. Throwing all caution and logic to the wind to make such an obviously bad bet could cause others who cannot afford it to replicate his behaviour in the hopes of winning big by beating the odds at Stake themselves.

People do not see the details of the longstanding partnership agreements that sporting legends like Mike Tyson and live streamers like Nick Mercs have with these online casinos and betting sites. These agreements allow them to earn predetermined returns on their spending, remarkably lucrative hourly rates for playing live on stream, bonuses for being active during mainstream events, and more.

We love gambling online and support everyone's right to spend their time and money as they see fit, but please always gamble responsibly. This means not chasing losses, setting budgets ahead of time, and placing bets with your head and not your heart, unlike Drake.