President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image on Truth Social on Thursday that included branding for Stake, drawing fresh attention to an offshore operator that is not licensed to offer online casino gaming or sports betting anywhere in the United States.
The post showed Trump alongside UFC CEO Dana White outside the White House with an empty Octagon on the south lawn and lightning in the background. Trump captioned the image: “Soon.”
It remains unclear whether the inclusion of Stake was intentional. Trump regularly posts original content and reposts on Truth Social, and later shared other AI-generated images and videos with the same caption.
The post nonetheless raised the profile of Stake at a time when scrutiny of offshore gaming remains high in the US. The Australia-based, crypto-focused operator has built a strong social media presence through paid partnerships with influencers, including streamer Adin Ross and rapper Drake. Both Ross and Drake have also been named in lawsuits alleging illegal gambling promotion.
Stake itself is facing lawsuits in multiple states over claims that it offers unlicensed gambling products to US consumers. The operator is not licensed in any US jurisdiction and lost its UK licence last year.
The episode also feeds into a wider policy debate over offshore gaming, crypto and prediction markets under the current administration. Regulated operators and the American Gaming Association have pressed federal authorities to take stronger action against offshore sites, arguing that individual states often lack the legal and financial resources to remove them effectively.
Critics of offshore platforms say those sites do not provide the same consumer protections, responsible gambling tools, licensing standards or tax contributions required of regulated operators.
At the same time, the Trump administration has taken a more supportive stance toward cryptocurrencies and prediction markets. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Mike Selig has defended prediction markets against state-level enforcement efforts, while nearly two dozen states have challenged operators including Kalshi and Crypto.com.
Congress has also introduced bipartisan proposals to restrict sports event contracts and other politically sensitive event markets, adding to the broader dispute over how online wagering products should be regulated in the US.
The wider regulatory debate has already reached Congress. In March, lawmakers introduced the Stop Corrupt Bets Act to prohibit event contracts tied to elections, government actions, war and sports, while also seeking to return oversight authority to state bodies.
The proposal added to broader efforts to limit prediction markets that resemble sports betting or casino products.
Sports event contracts account for roughly 85% of prediction market trading volume, according to the source material
