Paris court orders Meta to block illegal gambling promotions
The case was initiated by the French casino and hotel operator Groupe Lucien Barrière
France.- The Paris Court of Appeal has issued a judgment against Meta Platforms Ireland, requiring the company to block illegal gambling promotions across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. The case was initiated by the French casino and hotel operator Groupe Lucien Barrière, which complained of thousands of ads making unauthorised use of its brand to promote unlicensed casino apps.
Barrière argued that the ads infringed on its trademarks and breached French law, which prohibits online casino advertising. Online casino gaming itself remains unlicensed in France as land-based casino operators have objected to government proposals to regulate the sector.
The group first noted the misuse of its brand in late 2023. It began documenting the scale of the issue and wrote to Meta to demand the removal of the ads and disclosure of advertisers’ identities. Meta refused, which led Barrière to take legal action against it.
A court took Barrière’s side in January 2024 and told Meta to impose filtering and to retain advertiser data, but Meta appealed, claiming that it had no obligation to monitor user content.
However, the Court of Appeal was told that hundred of accounts had together posted more than 2,400 ads, some of which imitated Barrière’s branding. It has backed the previous ruling, rejecting Meta’s appeal.
Ruling that the volume of ads justified immediate action, it confirmed orders that the company must use automated systems to detect and block gambling ads that exploit Barrière’s trademarks or promote unlicensed casino games. The measure must remain in place for a year.
Meta was also ordered to cover legal costs and pay €10,000 to Barrière under civil procedure rules.
It’s not the first time Meta been criticised over gambling promotions recently. At ICE Barcelona, the British Gambling Commission’s executive director Tim Miller criticised the Facebook owner for allowing ads for sites promoted as “not on GamStop”. The Dutch gaming trade association VNLOK also recently issued a rebuke.
Meanwhile, Google is to introduce new requirements for gambling advertisers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. From March 23, 2026 new eligibility checks will require users who want to post gambling ads to demonstrate adherence to Google’s “good health policy” before receiving approval. The new requirement places stronger weight on an advertiser’s track record.
