Stake is a crypto-centric casino and sportsbook operated by Medium Rare N.V. under a Curaçao licence. It is known for its extensive VIP rakeback program and sponsorship of major sports teams. The site accepts players from most Canadian provinces but explicitly prohibits those in Alberta and Ontario. Its main strength is a wide selection of cryptocurrencies with no maximum withdrawal limit, but the main catch is a rule requiring every deposit to be wagered once before any funds can be withdrawn.
01Ownership, Licence and Scale
Stake is operated by Medium Rare N.V., a company registered in Curaçao under number 145353. The operational and payment agent companies are Medium Rare Limited and MRS Tech Limited, based in Cyprus. The platform holds a licence from the Curaçao Gaming Authority under the new National Ordinance on Games of Chance regime. The licence number is OGL/2024/1451/0918.
As of November 2026, the CGA register listed this licence as issued on 9 December 2025 with an expiry of 9 June 2026 and a status of Assessment in progress. This status is shared by 296 other entries in the same register. Stake was launched in 2017 and has grown to become one of the most visited online gambling sites globally. Similarweb reported approximately 60.2 million monthly visits in October 2026, with about 28 percent of that traffic originating from Canada. The brand's visibility is amplified by high profile sponsorships including a sleeve partnership with Everton FC for the 2026/27 season, a global ambassador deal with musician Drake, and past title sponsorship of the Sauber Formula 1 team from 2023 to 2025.
02Payment Methods: Coins, Networks and the Cashier
Stake supports a wide array of payment methods for Canadian players, blending traditional fiat options with extensive cryptocurrency support. For Canadian dollar transactions, deposits and withdrawals can be made using Interac bank transfers, Visa, and Mastercard. The minimum deposit for a CAD card transaction is C$5. Players can also purchase cryptocurrency directly through integrated onramp services MoonPay and Swapped. The platform supports 21 different cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, USDT, USDC, Dogecoin, and XRP.
Each coin can be sent over specific networks, with USDT offering the most flexibility across ERC-20, BEP-20, Polygon, TRC-20, and Solana networks. Notably, Stake does not support the Bitcoin Lightning network, Base, or Arbitrum. Withdrawal speeds for Interac e-Transfer and card methods are stated to be up to three business days but are usually faster. For cryptocurrency withdrawals, no specific processing time is stated, though the help centre notes that larger withdrawals may require manual processing. There is no maximum withdrawal amount for crypto, but each transaction is subject to a fixed network fee, such as 1 USDT. CAD withdrawals to Visa or Mastercard are limited to between C$5 and C$3,000 per transaction.
Stake supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies for deposits and withdrawals. The primary coins include Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), Dogecoin (DOGE), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Ripple (XRP), EOS (EOS), Tron (TRX), Binance Coin (BNB), Solana (SOL), Polygon (POL), Chainlink (LINK), Dai (DAI), Shiba Inu (SHIB), Uniswap (UNI), ApeCoin (APE), Cronos (CRO), The Sandbox (SAND), and TRUMP. These cryptocurrencies are supported across various blockchain networks. For example, USDT can be used on the ERC-20, BEP-20, Polygon, TRC-20, and Solana networks. Stake does not support the Bitcoin Lightning Network.
| Coin / Method | Networks or Details | Limits or Speed |
|---|---|---|
| BTC | Bitcoin | No max withdrawal |
| ETH | ERC-20, BEP-20 | No max withdrawal |
| USDT | ERC-20, BEP-20, Polygon, TRC-20, Solana | Min 2.5, fee 1 USDT |
| USDC | ERC-20, BEP-20, Polygon, Solana | No max withdrawal |
| CAD Interac | Bank transfer in, e-Transfer out | Up to 3 business days |
| CAD Card | Visa, Mastercard | C$5 min deposit, C$3,000 max withdrawal per tx |
03Bonuses, Rakeback and the Fine Print
Stake does not offer a standard public welcome bonus such as a deposit match or free spins. Instead, new players can access a rakeback benefit by entering an affiliate welcome code within 24 hours of signing up. This code unlocks a 3.5 percent rakeback on the house edge, which is normally reserved for players who reach the Bronze VIP level by wagering US$10,000. Separate affiliate codes for deposit-match bonuses also exist, such as the code GURU which offers a 200 percent match up to US$1,000 with a 40x wagering requirement on the bonus plus deposit amount.
The platform's primary loyalty structure is its VIP Club, which has over 15 levels ranging from Bronze to Obsidian, the latter requiring US$1 billion in lifetime wagers. Benefits include the base rakeback, weekly boosts, monthly bonuses, reload offers from Platinum I onward, and a dedicated VIP host at higher tiers. Sports wagers count three times toward VIP progress. It is critical to understand the attached terms before claiming any offer.
- Every deposit, whether crypto or fiat, must be wagered 100 percent, or one time, before any withdrawal or tipping is allowed as per terms 8.1(d), 8.5, and 8.10.
- Unclaimed bonuses can be cancelled after the claiming period or 60 days, whichever is shorter, and Stake may cancel any bonus at its sole discretion under terms 12.10 and 12.11.
- Maximum profit per bet on Stake's in-house originals games is capped, for example at C$200,000 when playing in Canadian dollars or 20 BTC when playing in bitcoin.
- The wagering multiplier for any deposit bonus obtained via an affiliate code varies depending on the affiliate partner and the bonus type.
- If a player opens more than one account, Stake may close all accounts and retain all money in them according to terms 4.9 through 4.11.
04Game Selection: Slots, Live Casino and Originals
The casino library at Stake features thousands of titles from a wide range of software providers. Notable slot studios include Pragmatic Play, Hacksaw Gaming, Paperclip Gaming, Coreffect Interactive, Valkyrie, BGaming, and Endorphina. The platform also offers a comprehensive live casino section with real dealer games. A distinctive feature of Stake is its collection of in-house developed games, known as Stake Originals.
These include provably fair titles like Mines, Limbo, Dice, Blackjack, Plinko, Keno, and Crash. The provably fair system allows players to independently verify the fairness of each game round. It is important to note that Stake's terms and conditions, specifically clause 10.5, state that the operator may adjust the house edge of any slot game at its sole discretion and without prior notice. The platform also includes a poker room. While the game selection is vast, players should be aware that certain game studios may be geographically blocked based on their location, though the verified facts do not specify which ones are unavailable in Canada.
05Sportsbook and Esports Betting
Stake operates a full service sportsbook that covers a wide range of sporting events, live betting markets, and esports. Popular esports titles like Counter Strike 2 are available for wagering. The sportsbook also includes markets for horse racing. A useful feature for bettors is the Edit Bet option, which is referenced in the terms and conditions at clause 10.3.
This feature allows players to modify certain aspects of a placed bet under specific conditions. All sports wagers contribute to the player's VIP progress, and they count three times more than casino wagers of the same stake amount toward climbing the VIP tiers. The sportsbook is integrated into the same wallet as the casino and poker products, allowing funds to be moved between verticals. Players can set individual limits for the sportsbook separately from the casino as part of the responsible gambling tools.
06Licence Verification, KYC and Security Record
Stake's primary licence is issued by the Curaçao Gaming Authority under number OGL/2024/1451/0918. Players can verify this licence by checking the public CGA register. The terms and conditions state that disputes can be referred to the CADRE alternative dispute resolution body. Regarding identity checks, email verification is required before any deposit can be made. Stake requires a government issued ID, such as a passport, national ID card, or driver's licence, before processing a player's first Canadian dollar bank withdrawal.
Furthermore, terms 4.8, 8.1, and 8.12 allow Stake to request Know Your Customer documentation at any time and to withhold withdrawals until identity is verified. The platform has experienced several security and regulatory incidents. In September 2023, attackers stole approximately US$41 million from Stake's hot wallets on the Ethereum, Polygon, and BNB Chain networks, an attack the FBI later attributed to North Korea's Lazarus Group. In December 2025, Stake notified users that some personal data had been exposed through a breach at its analytics vendor Mixpanel. On the regulatory front, Stake ceased operations in Ontario in October 2022 ahead of the province's regulated market launch, exited the UK market in March 2025, and geo blocked Ireland in September 2026 following contact from that country's new regulator.
07Availability and Legal Status in Canada
Stake's Terms of Service, in clause 14.3, explicitly list Alberta and Ontario as Prohibited Jurisdictions. Attempts to access the site from IP addresses in Toronto are redirected to a notice stating Stake Ontario Is Coming Soon, while tests from Calgary and Edmonton IPs were blocked by Cloudflare. It is important to note that a separate Stake Canada brand was registered by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission for that province's regulated market in September 2026, but this is a distinct entity from the international Stake.com site reviewed here. For Canadian players in permitted provinces, Stake offers customer support in French among its 16 languages.
The site accepts Canadian dollars for deposits and withdrawals via Interac and credit cards. Players should understand that playing on an offshore site licensed by Curaçao means they are not protected by Canadian provincial gambling regulations. The Curaçao licence provides a different legal framework, and players must resolve disputes through the channels outlined in the terms, such as the CADRE ADR body. Using a virtual private network or proxy to circumvent the geographic blocks for Alberta or Ontario is a direct violation of the terms and conditions and can result in account closure and forfeiture of funds.
08Who Should Play at Stake and Who Should Look Elsewhere
Stake is best suited for Canadian players outside of Alberta and Ontario who are comfortable using cryptocurrency and who value a high volume rakeback model over a large upfront welcome bonus. It appeals to players who wager frequently, as the VIP program rewards consistent play with escalating benefits like higher rakeback percentages and personal hosts. The extensive coin support and lack of a maximum crypto withdrawal limit are significant advantages for crypto enthusiasts. However, players who prefer a traditional deposit match welcome offer may be disappointed, as no standard public bonus exists. The platform's requirement to wager every deposit once before withdrawal is a critical rule that all users must plan around. Players who are sensitive to past security incidents may be concerned by the 2023 hot wallet hack and the 2025 third party data exposure. This score reflects a platform with solid fundamentals but notable areas where caution is advised, particularly regarding its terms and geographic restrictions.
09Important terms
- Each deposit, crypto or fiat, must be wagered 100% before it can be withdrawn (Stake Terms of Service 8.1(d), 8.5 and 8.10)
- Stake may adjust the house edge of any slot game at its sole discretion and without prior notice (Stake Terms of Service 10.5)
- Stake may charge withdrawal fees at its discretion; each crypto withdrawal has a fixed fee deducted from the balance, e.g. 1 USDT (Stake Terms of Service 8.9; help centre 'Crypto: What are the withdrawal limits?')
- Alberta and Ontario are listed as Prohibited Jurisdictions, and using a VPN or proxy to get around this breaches the terms (Stake Terms of Service 14.3-14.4)
- Maximum profit per bet on Stake Originals is capped, e.g. C$200,000 in CAD or 20 BTC in bitcoin (help centre 'Local Currency: Casino Betting Limits' and 'Crypto: Casino Betting Limits')
- If more than one account is opened, Stake may close all accounts and retain all money in them (Stake Terms of Service 4.9-4.11)
- Unclaimed bonuses can be cancelled after the claiming period or 60 days, whichever is shorter, and Stake may cancel any bonus at its sole discretion (Stake Terms of Service 12.10-12.11)
10Pros and cons
What holds up
- Pro: Licensed by the Curaçao Gaming Authority (OGL/2024/1451/0918) with disputes referable to the CADRE ADR body (T&C 1.1, 23.3)
- Pro: CAD deposits and withdrawals by Interac bank transfer and Visa/Mastercard, plus crypto purchase via MoonPay or Swapped
- Pro: No maximum withdrawal amount on crypto (help centre)
- Pro: 21 cryptocurrencies, with USDT on ERC-20, BEP-20, Polygon, TRC-20 and Solana
- Pro: Deposit, loss and wager limits plus casino, sportsbook, poker and full self-exclusion tools
- Pro: 24/7 live chat in 16 languages including French (casino.guru)
What to watch
- Con: Alberta and Ontario residents are excluded by the Terms of Service (clause 14.3)
- Con: Every deposit must be wagered once before any withdrawal
- Con: Terms allow Stake to change the house edge of slots without notice
- Con: No standard public welcome bonus; the welcome rakeback needs an affiliate code entered within 24 hours
- Con: Fixed crypto withdrawal fees, and no Lightning, Base or Arbitrum support
- Con: Past security and data incidents: a US$41 million hot-wallet hack (2023) and a Mixpanel data exposure (2025)
11The 20 checks
The Proof score of 7.3 comes from these 20 checks, read on Stake's own terms, help centre and licence register. In each group the share of checks passed counts (not-applicable checks are left out), and the four groups are weighted: licence and owner 25%, cashier 30%, terms 25%, safety and track record 20%.
| # | Check | Result | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Licence and owner 5/5 · group score 10.0 | |||
| L1 | Licence number published | Passed | Curaçao (CGA) OGL/2024/1451/0918 |
| L2 | Licence can be checked on a register or validator | Passed | T&C 1.1; CGA register 2 Nov 2026; casino.guru (marked Verified) |
| L3 | Licensed under Curaçao's new CGA regime or stricter | Passed | Curaçao Gaming Authority |
| L4 | Operating company named | Passed | Medium Rare N.V. (reg. no. 145353; payment agents Medium Rare Limited and MRS Tech Limited, Cyprus) |
| L5 | Five years or more in business | Passed | Online since 2017 |
| Cashier 4/5 · group score 8.0 | |||
| C1 | Ten or more coins accepted | Passed | 21 coins: BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT, USDC, DOGE, BCH, XRP, EOS, TRX, BNB, SOL |
| C2 | Takes a dollar stablecoin (USDT or USDC) | Passed | Stablecoins: USDC, USDT |
| C3 | Canadian-dollar cashier (Interac or cards) | Passed | Interac (CAD bank transfer in, Interac e-Transfer out), Visa, Mastercard |
| C4 | Crypto payouts stated in minutes | Failed | Interac e-Transfer and card withdrawals: up to 3 business days, usually faster (help centre); crypto: no time stated, larger withdrawals may need manual processing |
| C5 | No weekly or monthly withdrawal ceiling | Passed | No maximum withdrawal amount (help centre); per-coin minimums and fixed network fees apply (e.g. USDT minimum 2.5, fee 1 USDT); CAD Visa/Mastercard limit C$5 to C$3,000 per transaction |
| Terms 2/5 · group score 5.0 | |||
| T1 | Deposits need at most 1x wagering before a withdrawal | Passed | Every deposit (crypto or fiat) must be wagered 100% (1x) before withdrawal or tipping (T&C 8.1(d), 8.5, 8.10; help centre) |
| T2 | Welcome bonus wagering of 40x or less | n/a | No standard deposit-match welcome bonus on-site; an affiliate welcome code entered within 24 hours of sign-up unlocks rakeback (3.5% of the house edge) normally reserved for Bronze VIPs |
| T3 | No fee on dormant accounts | Passed | No dormancy fee in the terms we read |
| T4 | No cap on what a single bet can win | Failed | Maximum profit per bet on Stake Originals is capped, e.g. C$200,000 in CAD or 20 BTC in bitcoin (help centre 'Local Currency: Casino Betting Limits' and 'Crypto: Casino Betting Limits') |
| T5 | No clause to keep a real-money balance | Failed | If more than one account is opened, Stake may close all accounts and retain all money in them (Stake Terms of Service 4.9-4.11) |
| Safety and track record 3/5 · group score 6.0 | |||
| S1 | No hack or data leak in the last two years | Failed | 2025-12: Stake told users that some of their data (username, email, date of birth, phone number) had been exposed through a breach at its analytics vendor Mixpanel; Stake said no passwords or financial data were involved and its own systems were not breached. |
| S2 | Deposit limits and self-exclusion offered | Passed | deposit limits (daily for local currency; crypto over the limit is held), loss limits (daily, weekly, monthly), wager limits (daily, weekly, monthly), product exclusion (casino or sportsbook, 24 hours to indefinite), poker exclusion (1 day to indefinite), self-exclusion (indefinite, minimum 6 months), account closure |
| S3 | Open in 11 or more provinces and territories | Passed | Open in 11 of 13; Stake.com's Terms of Service (clause 14.3) list Alberta and Ontario among its Prohibited Jurisdictions and a Toronto IP was redirected to a 'Stake Ontario Is Coming Soon' notice (Calgary and Edmonton IP tests on 11 Nov 2026 were stopped by Cloudflare, Fredericton loaded normally), while a separate Stake Canada brand was registered by AGLC for Alberta's regulated market in September 2026 (casinoreports.ca). |
| S4 | Trustpilot score of 3.5 or more | Passed | Trustpilot 3.9 |
| S5 | Casino.guru Safety Index of 8 or more | Failed | Safety Index 7.9 |
12Frequently asked questions
Is Stake legal in Canada?
Stake operates under a Curaçao gaming licence and accepts players from most Canadian provinces. However, its Terms of Service explicitly prohibit players from Alberta and Ontario. Residents of those provinces are blocked from accessing the international Stake.com site. A separate, provincially licensed Stake Canada brand is being prepared for Alberta's regulated market, but it is not yet operational and is a different entity.
What is the Stake withdrawal time?
Withdrawal times vary by method. For Canadian dollar withdrawals via Interac e-Transfer or to a Visa or Mastercard, Stake states the process takes up to three business days but is usually faster. For cryptocurrency withdrawals, no specific time is stated. The help centre notes that larger withdrawal amounts may require manual processing by administrators, which can cause a temporary delay. There is no maximum withdrawal limit for crypto.
Does Stake have a welcome bonus?
Stake does not offer a standard public welcome bonus like a deposit match on its main website. However, new players can enter an affiliate welcome code within 24 hours of signing up to unlock a rakeback reward. This rakeback is typically 3.5 percent of the house edge and is normally reserved for players who have reached Bronze VIP status. Separate affiliate codes for deposit match bonuses also exist, such as one offering a 200 percent match up to US$1,000, but the specific wagering multiplier for these offers varies by affiliate partner and bonus type.
What is the wagering requirement before withdrawal?
Stake enforces a strict wagering requirement before any funds can be withdrawn. According to clauses 8.1(d), 8.5, and 8.10 of its Terms of Service, every deposit, whether made with cryptocurrency or Canadian fiat currency, must be wagered 100 percent, or one time, before a withdrawal can be processed. This rule also applies before funds can be tipped to another user. Attempting to withdraw a deposit without placing any bets will result in the withdrawal being invalidated.
Does Stake require KYC verification?
Yes, Stake requires identity verification under certain conditions. Email verification is mandatory before any deposit. Stake requires a government issued ID, such as a passport or driver's licence, before processing a player's first Canadian dollar bank withdrawal. Furthermore, the terms allow Stake to request Know Your Customer documentation at any time and to withhold withdrawals until identity is verified.
Can I use Interac at Stake?
Yes, Stake accepts Canadian dollars via Interac for both deposits and withdrawals. Deposits are made as a bank transfer, while withdrawals are processed as Interac e-Transfers. The minimum deposit for a CAD card transaction is C$5. Withdrawals via Interac e-Transfer are stated to take up to three business days but are usually faster.
13Sources
- Stake Terms of Service stake.com
- Stake homepage (footer, Originals, sponsorships) stake.com
- Stake Ontario restricted-region notice (Toronto IP) stake.com
- Stake help centre: Canadian Dollars, how to make a deposit help.stake.com
- Stake help centre: Canadian Dollars, withdrawal via bank transfer help.stake.com
- Stake help centre: credit card deposits (local currency) help.stake.com
- Stake help centre: credit card withdrawals help.stake.com
Spotted an outdated term? The facts were read on 2026-11-11; terms change often.
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