The “Drake Curse” has hovered over big games and prize fights for years, a running joke that whenever the Toronto superstar publicly backs a side, the other team seems to win. Super Bowl 60 offered another test of that theory.
In the days before kickoff between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, Drake revealed that he had staked a huge wager on a Patriots victory. By the time the confetti fell in Santa Clara, both the AFC champions and their most famous backer had taken a painful loss, renewing questions about whether the curse had struck again.
What is the Drake Curse in Sports?
The Drake Curse is a fan-driven theory, built less on math than on memory. It describes the pattern in which teams or athletes associated with Drake, as shown in photos, jerseys, or especially his public betting slips, wind up losing marquee events.
Over the years, that idea has been fueled by a string of prominent defeats that followed his support. In 2016, he reportedly lost a $60,000 wager on the NBA Finals to fellow rapper French Montana, and in 2025, he reportedly dropped a $1 million bet on the Toronto Maple Leafs during their playoff run, only to see them eliminated.
Other high-dollar losses have included an $800,000 bet on the NBA Finals and a miss on tennis star Jannik Sinner at the U.S. Open.
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That uneven history has spawned social media accounts dedicated to tracking his bets and outcomes, compiling both the wins and the high-profile misfires. Those trackers have noted that, overall, Drake has actually profited from sports gambling across all wagers and sports, and some of his most successful tickets have come in the NFL.
One account that follows his action estimates that he has made more than $1.6 million in lifetime football bets heading into Super Bowl 60. Even so, the sheer size and visibility of his losing slips, often posted to millions of followers, keep feeding the narrative that his backing is bad news.
The curse has become such a staple of fan culture that Drake himself has addressed it in interviews, pointing out that the Toronto Raptors won the NBA title in 2019 despite his well-known allegiance.
For many viewers, though, the curse is less a literal belief than a shorthand for the drama around his bets. Each time he shows a new ticket, fans scrutinize the pick and immediately start predicting whether another twist will be added to the legend.
Rapper Drake Lost $1 Million in Super Bowl Bet
In the lead-up to Super Bowl 60, Drake once again put his money and his reputation as a bettor in the spotlight. On Saturday, Feb. 7, he shared an image of his betting slip on Instagram, showing a $1,000,000 stake on the New England Patriots to beat the Seattle Seahawks in Santa Clara.
The ticket indicated that if the Patriots won, he stood to collect an estimated $2.95 million payout. In his caption, he challenged skeptics with a warning about fading his pick, telling followers, “Bet against me if you dare,” and framing the wager as a high-stakes show of confidence in New England’s chances.
The reaction was immediate. Some fans and fellow celebrities applauded the move, with prominent Patriots supporter Mark Wahlberg publicly praising the bet in the comments. Others, though, reacted with dread.
On Sunday night, the Seahawks defeated the Patriots 29-13, claiming the Lombardi Trophy and leaving Drake’s $1 million wager as a total loss. In the box score, it was simply another Super Bowl result; in the ongoing story fans tell about Drake’s involvement in sports, it was another chapter in the curse.
While betting trackers still show him ahead overall in NFL wagers, the Super Bowl 60 result fit the pattern that keeps the myth alive: a massive, public bet on a favorite that fails in front of a global audience, ensuring that both the outcome and the loss will be talked about long after the final whistle.
