Donald Trump has provoked controversy by releasing an AI-created image on social media platform Truth Social promoting offshore crypto casino and sweepstakes operator Stake.
The image features the US president alongside Dana White, the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), against the backdrop of a UFC ring and the White House showered in bolts of lightning.
The post, which was designed to promote UFC Freedom 250, scheduled to take place on the South Lawn of the White House this June, features Stake’s logo in the bottom right corner.
Federal ethics regulations bar executive branch employees, including the president, from advertising or endorsing products, services or companies.
At the time of writing, the post has generated more than 19,000 likes, 2,200 replies and 4,100 reposts. Trump has 12.3 million followers on the platform.
While Stake is an official betting partner of the UFC in Asia and Latam, the Australia-based operator does not hold any sports betting or gaming licences in the US.
Sweepstakes casino and poker site Stake.us is available in around 30 states, though the company has been hit with multiple cease-and-desist orders by various state gaming regulators.
In February the Illinois Gaming Board issued 65 cease and desists to sweepstakes platforms, including Stake.us, accusing them of offering illegal gambling in the state.
Meanwhile, a class action lawsuit was filed last October against rapper and Stake partner Drake in which it was alleged Stake.us was created to circumvent state gaming laws.
Stake has been the front-of-shirt sponsor of Everton since 2022, though the brand is rumoured to be switching to the club’s sleeve when the Premier League’s voluntary ban on front-of-shirt gambling logos kicks in at the end of the current season this May.
In February 2025, Stake had its UK licence revoked by the Gambling Commission following an investigation by the regulator into a video posted to social media featuring a porn actress and the Stake logo.
TGP Europe, which had been operating the StakeUK.com platform as part of a white-label agreement, shut down the website in March.
The brand is also the main sponsor of the Sauber F1 team. Stake, which was placed 17th in the latest EGR Power 50, signed Chelsea legend Eden Hazard as a brand ambassador in March.
Meanwhile, the operator entered Denmark in February after securing a five-year licence from the Danish Gambling Authority, almost 12 months after acquiring VinderCasino parent MocinoPlay.
In other Stake-related news, Bijan Tehrani, co-founder of Easygo, the tech company behind Stake, has announced on X that Kick has reached 100 million users.
Tehrani and Ed Craven created streaming platform Kick in 2022 after a handful of crypto casinos, including Stake, were expelled from Amazon-owned platform Twitch.
In the X post, Tehrani revealed that he and Craven have invested “close to $1bn” in Kick “because we are insanely passionate” about the platform and “believe in the future of streaming”.
The post US president posts AI-generated image featuring Stake logo first appeared on EGR Intel.
Truth Social post promotes upcoming UFC event despite the sweepstakes operator having been hit with multiple cease-and-desist orders by state gaming regulators
The post US president posts AI-generated image featuring Stake logo first appeared on EGR Intel.