Los Angeles sues Stake.us, Kick, and major gaming providers

In the U.S., Los Angeles authorities have filed a lawsuit against Stake.us, Kick, Evolution, Pragmatic Play, and Hacksaw Gaming.

The Los Angeles city authorities have filed a civil lawsuit against the sweepstakes casino Stake.us, the streaming platform Kick, and providers Evolution, Pragmatic Play, and Hacksaw Gaming, accusing them of jointly operating an illegal gambling business under the guise of a “social casino.”

The platform Kick is included in the lawsuit as a channel for promoting Stake.us through streamers, while the providers are accused of supplying gaming content for the unlawful activity.

Authorities are demanding to block access to Stake.us and reimburse all player losses, accusing the company of creating a “predatory gaming environment” under the guise of a social casino. The lawsuit claims that the site operates like a regular online casino, using a dual-currency system to circumvent gambling bans in the state.

The lawsuit also names Stake founders Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani among the 16 defendants charged with facilitating illegal iGaming activities.