Staged ad or privacy invasion? Drake caught using gambling site in bizarre drone video

February 19, 2025

Staged ad or privacy invasion? Drake caught using gambling site in bizarre drone video

A viral video allegedly capturing rapper Drake’s fury at a drone intruding on his luxury Sydney hotel room has left fans divided, with many questioning whether the footage was a clever marketing stunt rather than a genuine privacy breach.

The 30-second clip, circulating widely online, appears to have been shot via drone. It opens with a close-up of a balcony table in a lavish hotel suite, displaying a beverage and a laptop screen glowing with a brightly coloured website. Suddenly, Drake—currently in Australia for his Anita Max Win Tour—emerges from inside the room, spots the drone, and reacts in apparent frustration. He grabs a shoe and hurls it at the flying camera, missing as it quickly pulls back to reveal the iconic skyline of Sydney’s Crown Towers Barangaroo, where he is staying in the penthouse suite.

Someone flew a drone to Drake’s penthouse in Sydney, Australia and caught him gambling 😭 pic.twitter.com/1M5xKpmJx9
— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) February 18, 2025

While at first glance, the footage appears to be the work of an intrusive fan or a brazen prankster, scepticism has quickly mounted online, with many pointing out how staged the whole scene appears.

“This seems like an ad for like five different things,” one Reddit user noted.
“The gambling site, Drake, the drone, that hotel, and the city—it all looks lit …..!”

Other viewers echoed similar doubts, speculating that Drake deliberately missed the drone to avoid damaging it and that his reaction seemed exaggerated.

“Staged …., his acting skills need work,” a social media commenter wrote.

Follow the money: A $100 million sponsorship deal

Keen-eyed viewers quickly identified it as Stake, an online gambling platform with which the rapper has a well-documented partnership. Drake has publicly promoted Stake for years and reportedly earns a staggering $100 million annually as the platform’s celebrity ambassador.

Stake recently exited the UK market following regulatory scrutiny and an investigation into a widely circulated video featuring the Stake logo alongside an adult actress outside Nottingham Trent University.

If the video were a planned stunt, it wouldn’t be the first time Drake has incorporated gambling into his public persona. The Canadian rapper has often live-streamed himself placing massive bets on Stake, further blurring the lines between genuine interest and paid promotion.

Marketing playbook of iGaming

The controversy highlights the evolving landscape of iGaming advertising, where influencers and celebrities leverage viral content to generate engagement. According to media buying agency RockApp, strict advertising regulations in markets like the UK and Australia have forced gambling platforms to find creative ways to promote their services while staying within legal boundaries.

“Traditional gambling ads face heavy restrictions, so brands increasingly turn to influencer marketing and viral moments to gain traction,” according to a RockApp industry report.

The blurred lines between organic content and staged promotions make it difficult for audiences to distinguish genuine moments from calculated advertising. The Stake partnership suggests that Drake’s viral “privacy invasion” may have been carefully orchestrated—potentially giving both the rapper and the gambling platform massive exposure without running afoul of advertising laws.

Real or staged? The jury’s still out

So, was Drake genuinely furious at a rogue drone, or was this a carefully curated ad campaign? The debate rages on, but one thing is certain: the clip has generated exactly the kind of buzz that brands dream of—whether intentional or not.