Posted on: May 28, 2026, 04:30h.
Last updated on: May 27, 2026, 12:31h.
- President Trump has shared social media posts promoting Stake
- Stake is a controversial sweepstakes casino that isn’t a licensed iGaming platform in any US state
- Trump’s posts primarily market the upcoming UFC fight at the White House
Online casino gambling is legal in only eight states. Stake, an online gaming platform, isn’t licensed in any of those jurisdictions. Still, President Donald Trump continues to shill the sweepstakes casino platform on his social media platform, Truth Social.
Stake is a gaming website and app based in the Caribbean island country of Curaçao. Its US-facing casino operates from Cyprus, a Mediterranean island that lends iGaming licenses to offshore gaming platforms for €30,000 (US$34,900) a year and a 13% effective gross revenue tax.
Stake.us claims to offer a free-to-play social gaming experience. But the platform, as all sweepstakes casinos do, utilizes a secondary digital token that can be used to play online slots and table games for real money. Critics, including state lawmakers, gaming regulators, and attorneys general, argue the sweepstakes model violates state gaming laws.
Numerous states have passed laws banning dual-currency social gaming, including California, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Washington. Many others have sent cease-and-desist orders against sweepstakes casino operators.
Despite the general perception among state officials that sweepstakes casinos constitute illegal gambling, Trump has repeatedly promoted Stake on Truth Social.
Trump Hypes UFC, Stake
On the president’s social media platform, Truth Social, his account @realDonaldTrump has shared promotional materials for the White House’s upcoming UFC fight with Stake branding. UFC Freedom 250 is set for June 14 on the South Lawn.
In the lead-up to the mixed martial arts spectacle, Trump has shared promotional AI-generated marketing materials three times with Stake’s likeness. The Truth Social posts occurred on April 9, May 8, and May 20.
Along with Stake, the ads include MMA media brand Freak. Stake and Freak maintain a close working relationship. Stake is an official betting partner of the UFC outside of the US and Canada, a title reserved by bet365.
Trump has long been a fan of the UFC, often attending fights while in Las Vegas. UFC President Dana White has additionally held a close relationship with Trump and contributed millions of dollars to his campaigns.
Money Talks
White isn’t the only person involved with the UFC White House fight who has donated to Trump. Federal campaign finance records reveal that Stake co-founder Bijan Tehrani has given extensively to the president, too.
The Australian billionaire, who was born in the US and retains US citizenship, gave $1 million to MAGA Inc. in February 2025. The 32-year-old contributed $852,396 to Trump 47 Committee in August 2024, and $500,000 during the 2024 presidential election to Turnout for America, a political action committee supporting the Trump campaign.
Tehrani additionally gave $371,700 to the Republican National Committee in 2024.
