John Oliver took aim at the nationwide lottery craze on Last Week Tonight Sunday evening, arguing that it's an exploitative scam that makes states billion of dollars.

John Oliver On The Lottery

On his HBO program Last Week Tonight, Oliver zeroed in on the practice of state-run lotteries in the U.S. Among the main issues Oliver has with the state lotteries is how they try to attract players by claiming that the proceeds go towards education. As Oliver points out, in 21 of the 24 states that make this claim, education spending is down or flat.

Oliver also noted that on the off chance that one wins the lottery – instead of losing hundreds and thousands of dollars a year – it’s not always what it’s cracked up to be.

“Winning the lottery can be like marrying Tom Cruise,” the host quipped. “Sure, it seems amazing in your mind. You might even dream about it happening one day. But, if it actually does, 5 years later the magic will be over, you’ll be estranged from your family and you will have seen things you can never un-see.”

What confounds Oliver the most about state lotteries are the patronizing advertisements that essentially say, if you indulge in this bad, potentially financially devastating habit, you just might be helping posterity.

“Gambling is a little like alcohol,” observed Oliver. “Most people like it some people are addicted to it and it’s not like the state can or should outlaw it all together. But, it would be a little strange if the state was in the liquor business, advertising it by claiming that every shot of vodka you drink helps school children learn.”

Sunday night's episode of Last Week Tonight was the finale for the show's first season. It'll return to HBO sometime next year.