WATCH: Saturday Night Live Spoofs Sports Betting AdsComedy Sketch Uses Gambling Addiction For Parody Commercial |
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Football season may be over, but the sports betting ads continue. As sports betting legalization has swept the country, a typical fan has become inundated with commercials touting bonuses and how to get in on the action.
Over the weekend, a Saturday Night Live parody took that to a new level – mixing betting with the struggles of problem gambling, albeit in a humorous way.
The ad brought plenty of the explosions and energy one might find in these types of commercials, while ironically advertising the dark side of gambling addiction.
“We all know a friend who struggles with online gambling – a friend who’s on the verge of losing everything. His house, his family, his entire life,” the ad notes. “Now you can bet on exactly how he’ll lose it all with Rock Bottom Kings.”
The faux betting platform allows bettors to select prop bets about how that degenerate friend “is finally going to hit rock bottom.” Some possibilities offered include going double or nothing on a random WNBA game or possibly betting his child’s college fund on a coin toss. Players could even wager on how he’ll try to grab a few more bucks, such as setting up a phony GoFundMe account.
“With Rock Bottom Kings, you’ll feel like you’re in the game – the game of your friend versus his horrible demons,” the ad says.
The spoof features Saturday’s host, comedian Shane Gillis, along with cast members Kenan Thompson and Andrew Dismukes. As of Monday, the video had garnered more than 14 million views on YouTube.
Check it out below:
While the ad is funny and pokes some fun at online sportsbooks, the growth of the industry has certainly brought concerns about problem gambling. It’s easier to make a bet than ever before with players now simply whipping out a cell phone rather than heading to a casino. A total of 39 states and U.S. jurisdictions now allow legal wagering.
Treatment clinics are reporting growing numbers of Americans seeking help for gambling addiction, according to The Guardian. That goes especially for young people.
“We know that young people like to experiment more,” former director of the World Health Organization’s mental health unit Shekhar Saxena told the news outlet. “We also know that young people are much more in touch with, and influenced by, their peers. And we also know that … because of their development stage, their resilience, and the possibility to control their behavior, is a little bit less.”
For those who do need some help, most state gaming regulators offer treatment and the opportunity to self-exclude from gaming. The National Council on Problem Gambling can also help. Visit the website or call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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