As Elon Musk’s X progresses into a **right-wing echo chamber**, the platform’s remaining meme fans have discovered a new source of annoyance: a relentless surge of **Stake gambling advertisements**.
### Stake Ads Dominate X
Wherever you scroll on X, it’s almost impossible to evade viral posts displaying the **Stake logo** in the bottom right corner. Some of the platform’s biggest meme accounts—whether rehashing stolen material or crafting their own—have effectively transformed into **billboards for the crypto-enabled casino**.
### What is Stake?
Stake is an **online sports wagering and casino platform** that enables users to gamble utilizing cryptocurrency. Established in Australia in 2017 by **Edward Craven and Bijan Tehrani**, the company now operates from Curaçao, a jurisdiction recognized for its **lenient gaming regulations**.
Nonetheless, Stake is most renowned for its **aggressive promotional strategies**. The firm has secured prominent partnerships with **former Twitch streamers like xQC and Adin Ross**, who now broadcast exclusively on **Kick**, a Stake-owned platform. It has also collaborated with significant brands, including the **UFC**, **Sauber Motorsport’s Formula One team**, and even **Drake**, who has appeared in Stake promotions.
In 2022, Stake broadened its presence in the **Premier League**, sponsoring **Everton’s jerseys**. However, by February 2025, the company **withdrew from the UK** following an **investigation by the Gambling Commission into its advertising techniques**. The probe was initiated after a Stake ad was found in a video featuring **English porn star Bonnie Blue**, breaching UK regulations that disallow gambling advertisements linked to **”seduction” or material appealing to younger audiences**.
### Why Is Stake’s Logo on So Many Memes?
In late 2024, reports from **404 Media** and **Slate** disclosed that Stake had formed **alliances with content aggregators on X**, compensating them to **incorporate its logo into their posts**. This approach generated a **low-effort, high-visibility advertising campaign**, as X’s algorithm favors content from **subscribed users**.
Compounding the issue, Stake **manipulated X’s Community Notes system**. Users trying to **alert others about Stake** inadvertently increased its visibility, as informative Notes—occasionally even linking directly to Stake’s site—circulated widely across the platform.
This strategy seems to be a **loophole for X’s own policies**, which explicitly **prohibit undisclosed gambling advertisements and promotions for offshore casinos**.
### X’s Reaction—and the Spread to Other Platforms
According to **Slate**, X user **@FearedBuck** was the **epicenter of Stake’s latest advertising initiative**. Initially a Milwaukee Bucks fan page, the account shifted to **reposting clips from Kick** before ceasing due to **scrutiny over possible FTC violations**. Now, meme accounts that still display the **Stake watermark** have included disclaimers like **”Gamble Responsibly” or #AD** to maintain plausible deniability.
In December, **Elon Musk briefly intervened**, **issuing warnings and suspending several accounts** accused of exploiting the platform to promote Stake ads. However, this crackdown was **short-lived**, as new accounts quickly emerged to perpetuate the cycle.
Now, the issue is **spreading beyond X**. Meme pages that initially inundated X with **Stake-branded content** are now **reposting the same viral images—watermark included—on Instagram Reels and Facebook**, further broadening the crypto casino’s influence.
As X continues to grapple with **advertiser retention and content oversight**, Stake’s **aggressive promotional strategies** underscore the platform’s ongoing **susceptibility to manipulation**—and the increasing **intersection of meme culture and crypto gambling**.