{ "id": 74061, "date": "2026-04-21T08:53:44", "date_gmt": "2026-04-21T01:53:44", "guid": { "rendered": "https:\/\/hbbgroup.net\/last-week-tonights-john-oliver-says-he-wont-placate-prediction-markets-users\/" }, "modified": "2026-04-21T08:53:44", "modified_gmt": "2026-04-21T01:53:44", "slug": "last-week-tonights-john-oliver-says-he-wont-placate-prediction-markets-users", "status": "publish", "type": "post", "link": "https:\/\/hbbgroup.net\/en_us\/last-week-tonights-john-oliver-says-he-wont-placate-prediction-markets-users\/", "title": { "rendered": "Last Week Tonight\u2018s John Oliver says he won\u2018t placate prediction markets users" }, "content": { "rendered": "
\n

John Oliver, host of HBO\u2019s Last Week Tonight<\/em>, targeted prediction market platforms on his show\u2019s latest weekly deep dive.<\/p>\n

In Sunday\u2019s airing of the HBO show, Oliver discussed<\/a> some of the trivial event contracts on platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, including betting whether members of the Trump administration would use certain words in public addresses, to the companies\u2019 controversial partnering with news organizations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Specifically, the host questioned Donald Trump Jr.\u2019s relationship with both platforms \u2014 an adviser to Kalshi and Polymarket \u2014 and how the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) \u201cdoesn\u2019t even seem to be trying\u201d to block event contracts on terrorism, assassination and war under Chair Michael Selig.<\/p>\n

For much of the show, Oliver discussed how it is \u201cincredibly easy for individuals to manipulate the outcomes,\u201d citing Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong rattling off a list of crypto-related words<\/a> in his third-quarter 2025 earnings call to cause many Kalshi and Polymarket users to win their bets.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to make you a promise tonight,\u201d said Oliver, echoing Armstrong\u2019s statement. \u201cI will never do anything because someone online placed a bet on it. So you can be confident that if I ever say Bitcoin, Ethereum, blockchain, staking and Web3, it won\u2019t be because I\u2019m trying to move markets \u2014 it will be because I\u2019m having a stroke.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source: HBO <\/em>Last Week Tonight<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While user activity and trading volume on prediction markets have increased exponentially in recent months \u2014 expected to reach $1 trillion<\/a> by 2030 \u2014 the platforms\u2019 controversial bets and legal status in US states have raised eyebrows for some experts. Gaming authorities in several states are suing companies like Kalshi over alleged illegal sports betting, with Coinbase chief legal officer Paul Grewal and others expecting the legal fight<\/a> to end up before the US Supreme Court.<\/p>\n

Related: <\/strong><\/em>Senate bill to target sports betting ban on prediction markets: WSJ<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Financial giants looking to expand into prediction markets?<\/h2>\n

In addition to previously announced partnerships with media giants like CNN, CNBC, Fox News and Dow Jones, traditional financial companies including Charles Schwab and Citadel Securities recently signaled plans to consider prediction markets.<\/p>\n

Charles Schwab CEO Rick Wurster said on a Thursday investors call<\/a> that the company would \u201ctake a hard look at\u201d prediction markets. In a separate event the same day, Citadel Securities President Jim Esposito said that the company was \u201cabsolutely keeping an eye on developments\u201d as part of a potential move into the market.<\/p>\n