Criticism mounts over ads for unlicensed gambling on Facebook
Dutch gambling operators have joined criticism of the tech giant’s failure to prevent illegal gambling promotion.
The Netherlands.- Criticism continues to mount over Meta’s lack of action over adverts for unlicensed gambling. The Dutch trade association VNLOK has issued a rebuke just days after Tim Miller, the British Gambling Commission’s Chief of Research and Policy, blasted the tech giant for failing to curb illegal gambling promotions.
VNLOK claims that the majority of gambling-related advertising found by Dutch users on Meta’s Facebook originates from unlicensed operators. It says that between October and December, over 95 per cent of gambling content on the platform (pages and individual ads) was linked to illegal websites. In November alone, such ads generated 50m impressions.
The trade body argues that Meta’s removal rates are paltry: only 3 per cent of ads were taken down in October, 5.2 per cent in November and 4.7 per cent in December. Moreover, VNLOK says illegal providers are able to replace removed content “at lightning speed.”
Chairman Björn Fuchs said: “These numbers are startling. The huge flow of illegal gambling ads on Meta platforms undermines player protection but also undermines confidence in the legal market. Unfortunately, this problem is getting bigger and bigger.”
He said the type of content is also expanding beyond traditional advertising to social content in which gambling logos appear even if the image or video isn’t presented as an advert.
“The promotion of illegal gambling websites on social media is expanding from social advertising to social content. Meta and other platforms are flooded with viral videos, in which the brands of illegal gambling websites are visible. This content specifically lures minor and young adult target groups to the illegal gambling offer, where the chance of gambling harm is very high.”
VNLOK is urging Meta to improve its proactive detection systems, but it’s also called on the Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), to step up enforcement against platforms like Facebook as well as marketing firms that enable such advertising.
The KSA has vowed to place a greater focus on combating illegality in its oversight in 2026. Additional capacity is being freed up to combat illegal gambling, primarily to frustrate and disable the infrastructure of illegal parties, the regulator said.
