Drake lost a $1.5 million (£1.1 million) bet on Argentina to win the 2026 World Cup final, as Spain defeated the South American side 1-0 in extra time. The rapper, known for his high-stakes sports wagers, would have collected over $5.1 million (£3.8 million) had Argentina prevailed.
Drake's gambling record: 56 losses out of 88 bets
According to data compiled from his public betting slips, Drake has placed 88 bets across 10 sports, winning only 32 times for a strike rate of 36.4%. His total wagers amount to $40.22 million (£30 million), with returns of $37.17 million (£28 million), leaving him $3.05 million in the red.
The 39-year-old Canadian artist, whose real name is Aubrey Drake Graham, has an average bet size of $457,060 (£340,000). His most profitable sport is cricket, netting him $997,500 (£741,000), while football accounts for his biggest losses at minus $3.17 million (£2.3 million). His largest single return came in May 2022 when he won over $2.7 million (£2 million) on basketball.
UFC betting: Drake's most popular but costly
Drake's most frequent betting sport is Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he has placed 26 bets totaling $14.45 million (£10.8 million). His Argentina loss came days after he lost a $1 million wager on Conor McGregor to defeat Max Holloway in a UFC bout. Sharing a screenshot of the bet on Instagram, Drake wrote: 'THE MAC IS BACK?!?!?? The proper twelve drinking, tailored suit wearing, Lambo Yacht riding man with the Dubai tan that once had both belts in both hands… Say less @stake.' Had McGregor won at +185 odds, Drake would have received a $2.85 million (£2.1 million) payout.
Fans quickly predicted the outcome, with comments such as 'we all know what this means' and 'Pls stop betting.' One user joked: 'Want to win big on a bet? Then do the exact opposite of what Drake does.'
Drake responds to the 'curse'
In a mock interview shared on social media last May as part of his partnership with Stake, Drake addressed the so-called 'Drake curse.' He pointed to the Toronto Raptors' 2019 NBA championship as evidence against it. 'First of all, the Toronto Raptors are NBA champions. If there was a Drake curse, Kawhi [Leonard] would've never hit that shot; we would've never beat the Warriors,' he said. 'The Drake curse is funny to me. There is no Drake curse, but it's funny, though.'
However, he admitted to being a 'flawed sports better,' stating: 'I will not deny that. That's not my gift. I'll let everybody roll with it. I'm sure if you're a Drake curse believer, there will be plenty more content in the future to confirm your theories because my slips do not cash out. But one day, I'm gonna have a parlay that's insane.'
