Content-based marketing. The secret behind Stake’s success

How did Stake dominate social media?

Stake.com entered the market in 2017 as an online casino and sports betting operator, enabling wagers with cryptocurrencies. The platform operates under a license from Curaçao — although that system is currently undergoing reform, it still allows operators to function globally with minimal regulatory oversight.

From the very beginning, the company – led by Australian entrepreneur Ed Craven and his partner Bijan Tehrani – avoided local licenses in major markets and did not operate in compliance with local regulations.

Stake owes its success to an aggressive marketing strategy. The company focused on content marketing and online presence, primarily through influencers. Although mainly known for its online activity, Stake has not entirely shied away from traditional forms of promotion — it was, among others, a sponsor of Everton FC, the Argentina national team, as well as a partner of UFC events and boxing galas.

Since 2020, Stake began extensive collaborations with streamers and YouTubers – primarily on Twitch and YouTube. Among its collaborators were the biggest names in the streaming world: xQc, Adin Ross, Trainwreckstv, Drake, SteveWillDoIt. All of them streamed sessions of online casino games sponsored by Stake.

The broadcasts attracted millions of viewers. Stake’s logo appeared in the background, the description included a promo code, and streamers encouraged users to register. For many viewers – often underage – it was their first contact with a gambling brand. It is precisely the young users of social media who became the foundation of Stake’s global success.

Fragments of these streams quickly made their way to TikTok, Instagram, Discord, and Reddit. Viral clips featuring big wins, emotional streamer reactions or crypto giveaways reached tens of millions of views.

Kick as a gambling haven

In October 2022, Twitch banned gambling streams involving unlicensed operators, explicitly naming Stake. For many companies, this would have meant the end of exposure on the world’s biggest streaming platform. Stake treated it as an impulse for further expansion.

In the same year, the Kick.com platform was launched, financially linked to the owners of Stake. Kick immediately attracted the biggest names in streaming, offering them better financial terms (95% of subscription revenues) and no restrictions on gambling content.

This resulted in a proprietary promotional ecosystem where Stake controls both the product (the casino), the distribution channel (Kick), and the creators (exclusively sponsored influencers).

In February 2025, Kick introduced new rules regarding gambling content. From that moment on, casino broadcasts could only involve operators meeting specific requirements – such as full age verification, offering self-exclusion options, and operating in accordance with responsible gambling standards.

At first glance, the changes appear to be a step toward protecting younger viewers and an attempt to bring order to the market, but according to many observers, their true goal may be the elimination of Stake’s competitors.

Popular streamer Xposed (Cody Burnett) suggested that these changes serve business interests more than the genuine protection of younger viewers. In his opinion, the new rules are intended to direct attention exclusively to this particular casino, marginalizing other companies in the gambling industry.

Operating on the edge of the law

Stake.com remains one of the most recognizable gambling operators in the world, even though it still largely operates outside of local licensing systems. For a long time, Stake avoided attempts to enter regulated markets, focusing on scalability and expansion. In recent years, the operator has gradually begun to change its strategy, obtaining local licenses in countries such as Colombia and Peru.

In Europe, however, the situation remains unchanged — Stake does not hold licenses to operate in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, or Sweden. Users from these countries can technically access the site, e.g., through VPN or mirror sites, but the platform officially blocks registration from certain jurisdictions and does not openly promote its services there.

In the United States, the company operates through Stake.us — a site operating under a “social casino” model. Players do not deposit money directly but participate in sweepstakes using tokens, allowing the operator to bypass traditional gambling regulations in most states.

In Canada, the situation is more complex. Stake.com does not hold a license in any province — including Ontario, where a licensing system managed by iGaming Ontario has been in effect since 2023. Due to the lack of a required license, the company has been formally blocked in this market. In the remaining provinces, Stake operates without local authorizations, benefiting from the lack of enforcement of regulations against foreign operators. Despite formal restrictions, Stake’s presence on social media and broadcasts from Canadian territory has not been fully extinguished.

However, most attention has been drawn to Stake’s activities in the United Kingdom. In February 2025, the British Gambling Commission launched formal proceedings against the operator following a wave of complaints related to a social media advertising campaign. At the center of the controversy was a promotion featuring porn actress Bonnie Blue, who appeared in an ad with Stake’s logo — near the Nottingham Trent University campus. The material was deemed inappropriate due to its sexual nature and potential impact on younger audiences.

As a consequence, Stake ended its collaboration with TGP Europe — the UKGC-licensed operator through which it had operated in the UK — and announced its withdrawal from the market on March 11, 2025.

Although the company is not formally active in many countries, in practice its services remain easily accessible. Users can register using VPNs, mirror domains, and payment methods that allow them to bypass geographic blocks. Identity verification (KYC) is often superficial or delayed, and the interface does not always effectively block users from restricted jurisdictions.

This operational model does not necessarily break the law directly but operates on its fringes – in gaps that regulators have not yet closed.

Legal operators are losing the fight for players

While Stake.com gains reach through viral content and collaborations with influencers, regulated gambling operators in Europe function in a much more restrictive environment. Players such as Betano (Kaizen Gaming), Entain (owner of Bwin and Ladbrokes), Superbet, or Betclic operate in licensed markets and must meet a number of requirements that significantly limit their marketing capabilities.

The promotional strategies of such companies are based on sports partnerships, presence on linear regulated television, event sponsorships, and campaigns aligned with local and EU regulations. Betano was the official sponsor of UEFA Euro 2024 and many clubs in Greece, Portugal, Romania, and Brazil. Betclic invests in France’s Ligue 1. Bwin was present for years on Real Madrid’s jerseys and now focuses on the Austrian and German leagues. Ladbrokes and Coral operate in the UK, where every form of gambling advertising is strictly regulated.

Sports sponsorship, although it ensures exposure and prestige, does not provide the same level of engagement as content created by influencers. Match broadcasts do not engage the audience as directly as streams featuring internet celebrities. Moreover, legal operators cannot freely target a younger audience or promote their services on social media without disclosures, age filters, and risk warnings.

Additionally, internal EU regulations and those of individual member states vary greatly, forcing a fragmented approach to promotion. Operators working in a multi-jurisdictional model (e.g., Betano, Bwin, Bet365, Tipico) must tailor their campaigns to local realities, which means, among other things, bans on gambling advertising during protected hours, the need to obtain approvals for ad broadcasts, restrictions on promotional messaging, or the obligation to label content as sponsored.

As a result, brands operating in compliance with the law lose reach and flexibility. Their presence is visible, but it does not permeate the daily lives of the audience the way Stake’s content does. The latter can be present in every feed, on every platform, at any time — without formal accountability to regulators. This is a fundamental imbalance that undermines the principle of fair competition in the gambling sector.

Stake shows how to exploit system loopholes

Stake’s business model has found imitators, but it remains an exception in the industry. It is a company that has proven content marketing can be more effective than the largest budgets for traditional advertising.

At the same time, it is a controversial model — based on exploiting systemic inequalities, ignoring jurisdictions, and balancing on the edge of legality. Regulators try to respond, but they are usually a step behind the market. And that means Stake — at least for now — can continue to grow, acquire users, and increase its share in the global online gambling market.