How one video with Bonnie Blue cost Stake a licence and contracts
The story in question looks so absurd that it's time to call it cursed from the very beginning. In December 2024, Stake decided to use a video with actress Bonnie Blue for PR — and this decision turned out to be a disaster for the company.
Who is Bonnie Blue
Bonnie Blue, better known by her real name Tia Emma Billinger, has long been considered one of the most controversial figures in the adult industry. So scandalous that her account was blocked even on OnlyFans after declaring her intention to "sleep with 2000 men in 24 hours." Entry to Australia and Fiji is closed to her, and there are hundreds of videos with extremely provocative content in her career.
In December 2024, she filmed another video - at the gates of the University of Nottingham. In the video, the phrase sounded that she "wants to sleep with first-year students who have barely reached the age of consent." The publication started on OnlyFans, but the story didn't end there.
How Stake got involved in a scandal
One of Stake's marketers decided that this was the "perfect" material for viral promotion. The Stake logo was superimposed on the video and began to distribute it in X through "warmed-up" accounts with a paid subscription. The logic, apparently, was as follows:
- the video is as provocative as possible, which means that it is guaranteed to collect coverage;
- the main audience of Stake is young people, and the video is aimed specifically at them;
- Since the logo has been put on scenes of violence before, then serious consequences can not be expected.
With the coverage and resonance, they really guessed right. But they forgot about the consequences.
How it all ended
Two weeks after the hype, the UKGC (the UKGC) shut down Stake's operations in the UK for "violating social responsibility standards." The blow to the brand did not end there: football clubs Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City terminated sponsorship contracts with the operator under pressure from the regulator and the public.
Conclusion
The phrase "black PR is also PR" works exactly as long as it does not touch on topics that are better not to joke with. Stake decided to play on provocations, but miscalculated: one mistake cost the company a licence, contracts and millions.
Amanda Shimmer is the Chief Editor at CasinosInCanada and an experienced casino expert who ensures all guides, reviews, and industry investigations remain accurate, transparent, and helpful for players.
Once they were hyped, and now this is a classic example of how not to do it.
It's their own fault.
"Black PR is also PR"... yes, until the license burned down.
It seems to me that it was stupid self-confidence: "what if it passes". It did not pass.
No wonder it ended this way.