Rapper Drake’s Lost Bet on Madrid-Barcelona Showdown Brings Back the Curse

Posted on: October 17, 2022, 12:16h. 

Last updated on: October 19, 2022, 12:26h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

This weekend saw Barcelona and Real Madrid face off in the annual El Clásico soccer championship. It was one of two games that the rapper Drake hoped to make money on. But it appears the Drake Curse has returned once again.

Real Madrid vs Barcelona
Federico Valverde (left) celebrates with Karim Benzema of Real Madrid after Valverde scored his team’s second goal against Barcelona in El Clasico. Barcelona lost, as did the rapper Drake, who bet six figures on the game and one other. (Image: Getty Images)

Real Madrid’s victory against Barcelona in El Clásico is giving the sports world a lot to talk about. Among those who kicked up the chatter was Rodrygo Silva de Goes, one of the protagonists of the match. He scored the third and last goal in Madrid’s 3-1 victory, happy to prove Drake wrong.

Once the victory sunk in, the Brazilian soccer star threw a dart at Barcelona and Drake. The striker wrote a message on his social networks that was undeniably a stab at Drake. He simply wrote, “God’s Plan,” which happens to be the title of a song by the Canadian rapper, who was pulling for Barcelona.

Drake’s Latest Sports Bets Fall Flat

Drake reportedly put up $600K for Barcelona to beat Real Madrid in their LaLiga match. He also included Arsenal beating Leeds United in the Premier League. As is his custom, he turned to Stake.com to place his bets using cryptocurrency.

If he had won both wagers, it would have meant a huge payout. Reportedly, he could have taken home around $2.84 million. However, luck wasn’t with him this weekend.

https://twitter.com/RodrygoGoes/status/1581694475960987649

Arsenal was able to out-gun Leeds United to take the match, 1-0. However, the outcome of the Barcelona-Madrid game threw the bet upside down. Instead of pocketing a few more million, he had to turn the bet money back over to Stake.com to use in future wagers.

Drake, a Stake.com ambassador, isn’t the only person who’s unhappy with the results. Social media erupted with claims that Barcelona was cheated out of the win.

The stats show that they took 18 shots to Real Madrid’s eight, with 546 passes against 411. Barcelona fans believed this should have been enough to earn a victory for their team. But shots don’t count if they don’t hit the target.

Real Madrid is the new sole leader of La Liga after having beaten Barcelona. The team took control from the start and moved to 2-0 in the first half before Barcelona could find the net. Ferran Torres pulled one back for Barcelona down the stretch. But Rodrygo sealed the match with a self-inflicted penalty at the end of regulation time.

Stake.com Facing Greater Scrutiny

Stake.com continues to make headlines for different reasons. More often than not, it’s because of Drake’s bets. He’s reportedly wagered over $1 billion in cryptocurrency on the platform, although skeptics question how much of that Stake.com provided for promotional purposes.

Twitch recently announced that it will ban certain gambling-related streams, including Stake.com content. That could put a dent in Stake.com’s marketing plan, but as long as the site keeps Drake happy and in the limelight, it won’t suffer.

Where the platform might really have a problem down the road is in Curacao. Stake.com holds a gaming license from the Caribbean nation’s gaming regulator, although changes are coming. Curacao is updating its gambling laws, which could ultimately hurt a number of licensed operators.

Until then, and maybe even after, Stake.com will continue to support Drake whether he wins or loses. Either way, it always comes out ahead.