# Stake review
Source: https://cryptocasinos.help/casinos/stake/ — CryptoCasinos.help. Last updated 9 Nov 2026.
> Stake is a real, licensed crypto casino. It has run since 2017 and is operated by Medium Rare N.V., whose Curaçao licence OGL/2024/1451/0918 shows as active on the regulator's own register. It has strong limit tools, provably fair Originals and an independent dispute service, but its terms give it wide room to hold funds, and it carries a 2023 hack, a UK exit that followed regulator action, ownership questions from leaked regulator files and US lawsuits around its sister site. We have not tested it yet and rate it Caution.
## Key facts
- Trust score: 6.3/10 (Use caution)
- Safety & licensing (30%): 6.5
- Payments & withdrawal speed (25%): 6.5
- Fair terms & bonus rules (20%): 5.5
- Complaint record (15%): 6.5
- Support & usability (10%): 6.5
- Licence: Curaçao Gaming Authority (OGL/2024/1451/0918)
- Owner: Medium Rare N.V. (Curaçao, company no. 145353)
- KYC: Light KYC
- Deposit time: 1 min – 1 h
- Withdrawal time: 1 min – 3 h
- Withdrawal limit: No maximum withdrawal, according to Stake's help centre. Each coin has a minimum and a fixed withdrawal fee shown in the cashier, for example 1 USDT or 1 USDC. Every deposit must be wagered once (100% of its value) before you can withdraw it.
- Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), Solana (SOL), Dogecoin (DOGE), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), XRP (XRP), TRON (TRX), BNB (BNB), Dai (DAI), Chainlink (LINK), Uniswap (UNI), Shiba Inu (SHIB), ApeCoin (APE), Cronos (CRO), Polygon (POL), Official Trump (TRUMP)
- Game providers: Pragmatic Play, Evolution, Hacksaw Gaming, Nolimit City, Play'n GO, Push Gaming, Relax Gaming, Big Time Gaming, NetEnt, Red Tiger, Elk Studios, Thunderkick, Quickspin, PG Soft, Backseat Gaming, Print Studios, AvatarUX, Penguin King, Games Global, Blueprint Gaming, BGaming, Belatra, Endorphina, Mascot, Spinomenal, GameArt, Amusnet, EGT, Novomatic, Gamomat, Booming Games, 3Oaks, 7Rings, Black Coffee Studios, Fantasma Games, Jade Rabbit Studio, OneTouch, Popiplay, SmartSoft, Spribe, TRUE LAB, Uppercut, Valkyrie, VoltEnt
- Other payment methods: MoonPay, Swapped, Visa, Mastercard, Bank transfer
- Not available in: US, PR, GU, VI, AS, MP, UM, GB, AU, AF, AR, AT, BE, BR, KY, CO, HR, CU, CW, CZ, CY, CD, DK, FR, DE, GR, IR, IQ, IE, IL, IT, LR, LY, LT, MT, MX, NL, KP, PE, PL, PT, RS, SK, ZA, SS, ES, SD, SY, SE, ZW
- Minimum age: 18+
## Pros
- Licence OGL/2024/1451/0918 shows as granted and active on the Curaçao Gaming Authority's own certificate page, with stake.com as the approved domain
- Stake Originals such as Dice, Plinko, Mines and Crash are provably fair, so you can check each result yourself
- Deposit, loss and wager limits, breaks from 1 day to 1 month, self-exclusion and 2FA are all built into the account
- Unresolved complaints can go to CADRE, an independent dispute service, after Stake's final answer
- About 20 coins, with USDT and USDC on cheap networks such as TRON, Solana and Polygon, and no maximum withdrawal
## Cons
- Its terms let Stake hold withdrawals or keep winnings at its own discretion, and change the house edge on slots without notice
- Stake deducts a fixed fee on each crypto withdrawal, and every deposit must be wagered once before you can cash it out
- Hackers stole about $41 million from its hot wallets in September 2023, and the FBI blamed North Korea's Lazarus Group
- Leaked Curaçao regulator files reported in 2026 raised questions about who really owns the operating company
- Players report long ID and source-of-funds checks before big withdrawals, and some accounts closed
- Not available in the US, UK, Australia and much of the EU
## Overview
This Stake review looks at the licence, the owners, payouts, KYC checks and the risks to know before you deposit. Stake is one of the largest crypto casinos. Forbes Australia reports it made about $4.7 billion in gaming revenue in 2024. One account gives you thousands of slots, live dealer tables, in-house Stake Originals, a sportsbook and poker.
2017
year Stake launched
260+
game studios, Stake says
~20
coins you can deposit
3.5%
of the house edge paid back as rakeback
Stake.com is run by Medium Rare N.V., a company in Curaçao. Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani founded it. Forbes Australia reports that Stake launched in June 2017 and that its parent group, Easygo, is based in Melbourne. Stake is not offered to Australians, though.
How we reviewed it. We have not yet made real-money deposits or withdrawals at Stake, and we have not tested its support. The facts below come from Stake's own terms and help centre, the Curaçao regulator's register, the press and player reports, and we label each one. Stake is an affiliate partner of this site. The Visit button is a referral link and we may earn a commission. That never changes our scores.
## Is Stake legit and safe?
Stake is a real, licensed business with public founders, and a long list of controversies.
- Licence. The Curaçao Gaming Authority's own certificate page shows Medium Rare N.V., company number 145353, with licence OGL/2024/1451/0918. It shows the application as granted and the licence as active, licensed since 9 June 2025, for the domain stake.com. We checked it on 9 November 2026.
- Ownership questions. In September 2026, Follow the Money and other outlets published files leaked from the Curaçao regulator. Gambling Insider and Finance Magnates reported that the licence was first granted on conditions while the regulator was still asking about the founders' role and related companies. The files reportedly name Mladen Vuckovic as owner and CEO. The regulator says it followed robust checks. We found no public reply from Stake.
- The 2023 hack. In September 2023 about $41 million was taken from Stake's hot wallets. The FBI said North Korea's Lazarus Group was behind it. Stake said players would not be affected.
- UK exit. Stake's UK site ran through a licensed partner, TGP Europe. In February 2025 the UK Gambling Commission announced that Stake would leave Britain, after a viral video featuring Stake branding. Stake called it a mutual decision.
- US lawsuits. Stake.us, a sister sweepstakes site, faces lawsuits. In August 2025 Los Angeles sued it, and named Medium Rare, Craven and Tehrani among many defendants. In October 2025 a Missouri class action named Stake.us, Drake and Adin Ross. These are claims, not court findings.
Stake offers 2FA, passkeys, deposit, loss and wager limits, breaks from 1 day to 1 month, and self-exclusion for at least six months.
Bottom line. Stake is not a scam, and the licence checks out. The risks are its discretionary terms, the ownership questions and a hack history. Keep only what you are playing with on the site.
## Deposits & withdrawals
Stake is crypto-first. Its help centre lists about 20 coins. If you have no crypto, you can buy some through MoonPay or Swapped. In some countries you can also pay in local currency by Visa, Mastercard or bank transfer.
| Coin | Networks Stake accepts |
| --- | --- |
| Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Bitcoin Cash | Native networks |
| Ethereum | Ethereum (ERC-20) and BNB Chain (BEP-20) |
| Tether (USDT) | Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, TRON and Solana |
| USD Coin (USDC) | Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon and Solana |
| Solana, XRP, TRON, BNB | Native networks |
| DAI, POL | Ethereum, BNB Chain and Polygon |
| Chainlink, Uniswap, Shiba Inu | Ethereum and BNB Chain |
| ApeCoin, Cronos | Ethereum only |
| TRUMP | Solana only |
Stake does not accept Arbitrum, Optimism or Base. Always check the network in the cashier first.
Stake says there is no maximum withdrawal. Each coin has a small minimum and a fixed withdrawal fee, which Stake takes from your balance. That is 1 USDT for Tether, for example. Every deposit must also be wagered once before you can withdraw it. Stake calls this a 100% wager requirement.
| What | Our tests | Stake says or players report |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Deposits | Not tested yet | Credited after network confirmation |
| Withdrawals | Not tested yet | Reviewers report a few minutes to about three hours. Stake says large amounts may need manual processing. |
These times are reported, not measured by us.
### ID checks and held withdrawals
You can sign up and deposit without ID. Stake's terms let it ask for any document at any time and hold a withdrawal until it is happy. Its help centre lists photo ID, proof of address and proof of income, such as bank statements or payslips. Reviewers describe four levels, with level 2 photo ID often needed before a first withdrawal.
This is where most complaints come from. The newest one-star Trustpilot reviews mention held withdrawals, restricted accounts after ID checks, refused bonuses and slow support. Recent AskGamblers complaints describe held withdrawals and verification disputes from $1,400 to $53,400. AskGamblers marks most of its Stake complaints as resolved. We could not verify any single case.
Our count of the 20 newest one-star reviews on Trustpilot, 4 to 9 November 2026. A small sample, and one review can raise several topics. Hover a bar for details.
Most reviewers are happy, though. Here is how all 12,426 Trustpilot reviews split.
Trustpilot star split for stake.com, checked 9 November 2026. Stake replies to almost every negative review.
Use one account, turn on 2FA, keep deposit records and finish ID checks early.
## Casino games & providers
Stake says it carries games from more than 260 studios. Its lobby lists Pragmatic Play, Hacksaw Gaming, Nolimit City, Play'n GO, Relax Gaming and many more. Live tables come from Evolution and Pragmatic Play Live, among others.
Stake Originals such as Dice, Plinko, Mines, Crash and Limbo are made in-house and are provably fair. Before each bet Stake commits to a hidden server seed, mixes it with your own seed, and reveals it later so you can check the result. Our guide to [provably fair games](/guides/provably-fair-explained/) explains how. Third-party slots are not provably fair. They use each studio's own certified random number generator.
One clause stands out. Stake's terms say it can adjust the house edge of any slot at its own discretion and without notice. Check the RTP shown in each game before you play.
## Sportsbook, poker and streamers
The sportsbook covers major sports and esports, with live betting. Stake also runs poker tables and tournaments.
Streamers are a big part of Stake's story, and our guide to [gambling streamers](/guides/gambling-streamers/) covers it in detail. In October 2022 Twitch banned streams of unlicensed slot sites and named Stake. Kick, where most slot streams now run, is widely reported to be backed by Craven and Tehrani. The Financial Times reported in 2023 that Drake's Stake deal was worth over $100 million a year. Neither side has confirmed it.
In February 2026 Bloomberg published a long investigation into Stake streams. As summarised by VegasSlotsOnline, it reported that Drake hit wins of 1,000x or more about four times the normal rate on slots made by Stake's own game studio. Stake denies giving anyone better odds and disputes the method. Its co-founder said the sample was far too small. Nothing has been proven either way.
## Bonuses & VIP
Stake has no classic deposit-match welcome bonus. Instead it pays rakeback, which is part of the house edge paid back on every bet. Stake says it is 3.5% of the house edge, paid as cash with no wagering requirement. A wagering requirement is the amount you must bet before you can withdraw a bonus. On a slot with a 4% edge, 3.5% of the edge is about 14 cents back per $100 bet.
Averages over many spins. Real sessions swing a lot either way. Our [guide to RTP and house edge](/guides/rtp-explained/) explains the maths.
New players get rakeback from day one if they enter an affiliate code within 24 hours of signing up. Everyone else gets it after wagering $10,000, when they reach the Bronze VIP level. Higher levels add weekly, monthly and level-up bonuses. Platinum players get reloads, which are regular bonus payments based on recent betting.
Some deposit bonuses carry wagering, such as 30 times the deposit plus the bonus in one help centre example. Rakeback and VIP rewards grow with how much you bet, so don't bet more to chase them.
## Licence, restricted countries & legality
stake.com holds a Curaçao licence. It has no UK, Malta or US licence.
Stake's terms (archived on 26 October 2026) list these prohibited jurisdictions.
- The United States, the United Kingdom and Australia
- Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden
- Ontario and Alberta in Canada, plus Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Cuba and the Cayman Islands
- Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Syria, North Korea, Serbia, Curaçao, South Africa, Liberia, Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, DR Congo and Zimbabwe
The terms ban VPNs, proxies and false addresses. Trying to get around the block breaks the terms and can cost you your account and balance. Even where Stake is open to you, an offshore licence does not make it legal where you live. Check your own country's rules.
## Customer support
Stake advertises 24/7 live chat, which opens once you are logged in, plus email at support@stake.com. The site and help centre come in many languages. Complaints go to support@stake.com within six months. Stake must confirm within a week. If you are not happy with its final answer, you can take the case to CADRE, an independent dispute service approved by the Curaçao regulator. Trustpilot reviewers are split on support, and some say replies are scripted. We have not yet run our own support test.
## Verdict
Stake suits experienced crypto players who want a huge game library, provably fair Originals, a sportsbook and rakeback without bonus wagering. It is licensed, its founders are public, and its limit tools and dispute route are strong for an offshore casino.
Against that, its terms give it wide power to hold funds, withdrawals carry a fixed fee, and players report long ID checks on big cashouts. Its recent history also includes a hack, a UK exit that followed regulator action and ownership questions. We have not tested it yet and rate it Caution. Avoid it if you live in a restricted country or can't pass ID and source-of-funds checks. Keep stakes small, withdraw often and never use a VPN. Gambling should be entertainment, not income. If it stops being fun, set limits, take a break, or contact GamCare, Gamblers Anonymous or the National Council on Problem Gambling.
## FAQ
**Is Stake legit?**
Yes. Stake is a real, licensed casino that has operated since 2017. Its operator, Medium Rare N.V., holds Curaçao licence OGL/2024/1451/0918, which shows as active on the regulator's own register. It also has a 2023 hack, a UK exit that followed regulator action, open questions about its ownership and many complaints about held withdrawals, so we rate it Caution until we test it ourselves.
**Is Stake legal in the US, UK or Australia?**
No, stake.com does not accept players there. Its terms list the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia as prohibited jurisdictions, along with much of the EU. Stake.us is a separate sweepstakes site and is not covered by this review. Using a VPN to get around the block breaks Stake's terms and can cost you your account and balance.
**How long do Stake withdrawals take?**
Usually minutes, according to players and reviewers, but we have not tested it yet. Reports range from a few minutes to about three hours for crypto. Stake says large withdrawals may need manual processing, and a first withdrawal or an ID check can add a day or more.
**Does Stake require KYC?**
Not to sign up, but often to withdraw. You give your name, date of birth and address at sign-up. Stake's terms let it ask for ID, proof of address or proof of income at any time and hold withdrawals until you pass. Reviewers describe four verification levels and say level 2 photo ID is often needed before a first withdrawal.
**Does Stake have a welcome bonus or rakeback?**
Rakeback, not a classic welcome bonus. If you enter an affiliate code within 24 hours of signing up, Stake turns on rakeback straight away, which it says pays 3.5% of the house edge back as cash with no wagering. Other players get it once they have wagered $10,000. VIP levels add weekly, monthly and reload bonuses, which reward betting more. You still lose on average.
**Who owns Stake?**
Medium Rare N.V., a Curaçao company with number 145353, runs stake.com, according to Stake's terms and the regulator's certificate. Stake was founded by Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, whom Forbes lists as billionaires. In 2026, media reports on leaked regulator files said those files name Mladen Vuckovic as the company's owner and CEO. We could not check the files ourselves.
**What happened in the Stake hack?**
In September 2023 hackers took about $41 million in crypto from Stake's hot wallets on Ethereum, BNB Chain and Polygon. The FBI said North Korea's Lazarus Group did it. Stake said the attacker got only a small share of its funds and that players would not be affected.
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18+. Gambling involves risk of loss. Online casinos are illegal or restricted in many jurisdictions. Not offered to people in the United States. Information only, not advice.