Meta faces complaint to European Union over unlicensed online gambling ads in the Netherlands
A Dutch gambling industry association has criticised Meta’s reactive approach to ads for illegal gambling.
The Netherlands.- The Dutch gambling industry trade body VNLOK has opened another front against Facebook owner Meta. While the Netherlands’ gambling regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has criticised Meta over its hosting of ads for unlicensed online gambling, the trade body has now filed a legal complaint to the European Commission.
VNLOK’s complaint alleges that Facebook and Instagram have failed to curb the proliferation of illegal gambling advertisements aimed at Dutch users. It estimates that in the final quarter of 2025, Meta’s platforms carried over 70,000 gambling-related ads. According to its estimates, more than 95 per cent of these were placed by unlicensed operators. Despite this, Meta removed fewer than 5 per cent of the adverts.
The association criticised Meta’s reactive approach, noting that the company typically deletes content only after it is flagged by users or regulators, leaving it to others to make up for Meta’s platforms’ own lack of oversight. VNLOK likened this to “mopping up a flood while leaving the tap running”.
Licensed operators argue that their unlicensed rivals routinely disregard safeguards intended to reduce gambling-related harm. VNLOK chairman Björn Fuchs warned in a statement that “vulnerable players, including young people, are exposed to great risks.”
The trade body claims the black market for online gambling in the Netherlands has now reached parity with the regulated sector, generating more than €1bn annually. The KSA confirmed in its 2025 annual report that it lodged thousands of complaints each month with Meta regarding illegal gambling promotions. It told broadcaster NOS that such adverts often remain visible for around 36 hours before being taken down, only to reappear under slightly altered identities or URLs.
The pressure from the regulated industry comes as lawmakers in the Netherlands consider proposals for a complete ban on gambling adverts. The Netherlands also has tough restrictions, including a ban on untargeted gambling ads introduced in July 2023 and a ban on sports sponsorship that came into force last year. Industry stakeholders, including the KSA, have cautioned that further restrictions could unintentionally drive more players towards illegal platforms, undermining responsible gambling initiatives. KSA highlighted in its 2025 report that channelisation fell to 49 per cent in the first half of last year.
