Canadian rapper Drake is celebrating a significant windfall after placing substantial bets on the Denver Nuggets, who secured their first-ever NBA championship by defeating the Miami Heat on June 12.
The rapper in collaboration with crypto gambling platform Stake.com, emerged victorious on two fronts, reaping the rewards of his gambling prowess.
The first triumphant bet was an astounding $600,000 wager on the Nuggets winning the NBA Finals in precisely five games. Additionally, Drake bet $230,000 on Denver's overall victory, regardless of the number of games played, bringing his total winnings to a staggering $830,000.
Some fans expressed concerns that Drake's bets would jinx the Nuggets. Over the years, the rapper has experienced a string of notable losses and betting misfortunes. In 2014, he praised quarterback Johnny Manziel in a song, but Manziel's career took a downturn shortly after. He was seen kissing tennis star Serena Williams in 2015, only to witness her collapse at the US Open. In 2019, the rapper bet on Alabama to win the College Football Playoff, but they suffered a heavy defeat.
However, despite a lackluster shooting performance, the Nuggets emerged victorious in Game 5, prevailing with a score of 95-89 in front of their passionate home crowd at the Ball Arena in Denver.
For the Denver Nuggets, this historic victory marks their first-ever NBA title, a remarkable achievement for a team that had never before reached the NBA Finals. Their success emulates the Toronto Raptors, who last secured a first-time championship in 2019.
Before the decisive game, Drake shared his excitement on Instagram, expressing his confidence in the Nuggets' triumph. Following the team's victory, he took to his Instagram stories once again, sharing a photo of Canadian player Jamal Murray and proudly proclaiming, “CASH ME.”
Drake officially announced his partnership with the cryptocurrency betting platform Stake.com, calling it “inevitable” in March 2022. The collaboration aimed to capitalize on Drake's massive Instagram following of 104m, bringing significant exposure to Stake.com and highlighting their shared interests in crypto, gambling, and community.
Since then the rapper has placed many bets on the platform. Probably his most notable win with Stake.com, however, came in September 2022 when Drake collected an impressive $3.8m worth of Bitcoin (BTC) from a UFC bet on Liverpool fighters Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann at UFC London.
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