TLDR
- Drake bet $300,000 in Bitcoin on Canada to beat Argentina in the Copa América semi-final.
- Argentina won the match 2-0, causing Drake to lose his bet.
- The Argentina national team mocked Drake on social media after their victory.
- This loss follows Drake’s recent $1 million in Bitcoin losses on NHL and NBA bets.
- The Argentine Football Association Fan Token (ARG) surged 40% after the team’s win.
Canadian rapper Drake has once again found himself on the losing end of a high-stakes sports bet, this time in the world of international soccer.
The musician wagered $300,000 worth of Bitcoin on his home country, Canada, to defeat Argentina in the Copa América semi-final match on July 9, 2024.
Drake made the bet through Stake, a crypto betting platform where he serves as a brand ambassador. If Canada had won, Drake stood to gain a whopping $2.88 million payout. However, things didn’t go as he hoped.
Argentina, the reigning World Cup champions, proved too strong for the Canadian team. Led by soccer superstar Lionel Messi, who scored one of the goals, Argentina secured a 2-0 victory.
This win not only knocked Canada out of the tournament but also cost Drake his substantial Bitcoin bet.
This loss adds to Drake’s recent string of unsuccessful sports wagers. In June, he lost a combined $1 million worth of Bitcoin betting on the NBA Finals and NHL Stanley Cup Finals.
While these amounts might seem large to most people, they represent a small portion of Drake’s wealth, given his successful music career and business ventures.
After the match, the Argentina national team took to social media to poke fun at Drake’s failed bet. They posted a photo with the words “Not Like Us” added, along with the text “Not like us, not with us.”
Not like us, ???????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????? pic.twitter.com/Zoa4OTbgnK
— Selección Argentina in English (@AFASeleccionEN) July 10, 2024
This phrase refers to a recent diss track by rapper Kendrick Lamar, aimed at Drake as part of an ongoing feud between the two artists.
Drake’s betting activities have gained attention not just for their high stakes, but also for what some fans call the “Drake Curse.” This refers to a superstition that teams or athletes Drake supports often end up losing.
While this is more of a running joke than a real phenomenon, it has become a talking point whenever Drake makes a public bet.
Drake’s bet didn’t pay off but there were some winners in the crypto world following Argentina’s victory. The Argentine Football Association Fan Token (ARG), a cryptocurrency associated with the national team, saw a significant boost.
The token’s price surged by about 40% after the match, reaching around $1.60. This increase came after a period of decline, with the token still well below its all-time high of $9.1 reached during the 2022 World Cup.
Despite the loss, it’s unlikely that Drake will stop his sports betting activities anytime soon. He has had some wins in the past, including a $2.35 million Bitcoin payout earlier this year when he correctly bet on the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl.
The intersection of cryptocurrency and sports betting continues to grow, with platforms like Stake gaining popularity among high-profile users. However, as Drake’s experiences show, even celebrities with deep pockets can face significant losses when gambling on sports outcomes.
As the Copa América tournament moves towards its conclusion, all eyes will be on Argentina in the final. Meanwhile, crypto enthusiasts and sports fans alike will be watching to see if Drake places any more bets, and whether his luck in the world of sports gambling will change.
