By this point, it’s been well established that sports betting is everywhere. And the arrival of March Madness provided Last Week Tonight‘s John Oliver with the perfect opportunity to address the subject.
In fact, sports betting served as the primary topic of Sunday night’s episode of the weekly HBO news/comedy show. And Oliver’s half-hour segment hit all the familiar notes, calling attention to the alarming trends, hypocritical legislation and outright bizarre behavior associated with the industry.
But while the subject matter was obviously serious, that didn’t stop Last Week Tonight from putting its signature comedic spin on it. As such, the segment ended with a mock ad for a fake sportsbook known as “GriftKings,” in which its users attempted to portray the pitfalls of their gambling addiction in a positive light.
If a parody ad regarding the dangers of sports gambling sounds familiar, you’re not mistaken. Just over a year ago, Saturday Night Live took a similar approach during an episode hosted by Shane Gillis with a skit titled “Rock Bottom Kings,” which featured a fake sportsbook in which users have the ability to wager on the fallout from their friends’ gambling addictions.
While the two skits are based on different premises, they’re also similar enough — right down to the spin on DraftKings’ name — that it wouldn’t be a surprise if Last Week Tonight‘s sketch raised some eyebrows at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. In any event, the bigger story here (besides the legitimate dangers presented in Oliver’s piece) is that sports betting has become so prevalent that it’s now commonly mocked in such a manner on high profile platforms — albeit not so much that it’s slowed down the industry in any meaningful way.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.