A new market analysis found that illegal online casino advertisements reached millions of users in the Netherlands through Meta platforms, which allegedly generated over €13 million in annual advertising revenue for the tech giant.
The report, produced by Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates together with XY Legal Solutions B.V., examined gambling-related advertising activity on Facebook and Instagram during March 2026.
Researchers identified more than 15,000 illegal gambling advertisements that actively targeted Dutch consumers and estimated that these ads generated approximately 75.8 million impressions in a single month.
Using public cost per thousand impressions (CPM) benchmarks, the study estimates that Meta may have earned between €7.3 million and €13.6 million annually from such advertising activity in the Netherlands alone.
Researchers Say Scale of Activity Is Likely Underestimated
According to the report, investigators searched Meta’s public Ad Library using eight Dutch-language gambling-related terms, including “Casino,” “Free Spins,” “Welkomstbonus,” and “Gokken.” Ads were then classified as legal, illegal, or unrelated based on licensing status, redirect behaviour, domain ownership, and advertising content.
Researchers stressed that the findings likely represent only a fraction of the total illegal gambling advertising ecosystem.
“The findings in this report therefore explicitly represent a lower bound of the actual scale of illegal gambling advertising on Meta directed at the Netherlands,” the report states.
The analysis identified 15,114 illegal ads connected to 1,292 unique domains and 2,210 separate Facebook pages. Many of the campaigns were reportedly short-lived, designed to disappear before moderation systems could react.
Young Adults Identified as Major Target Group
One of the report’s most alarming findings was about the exposure among young adults aged 18 to 24.
Researchers estimate that 5.8 million illegal gambling ad impressions reached this demographic in March alone, translating to an estimated 70 million annual impressions if ad volumes remain stable throughout the year.
The report notes that regulated gambling operators in the Netherlands are prohibited from targeting this age group under the country’s “Besluit Orka” gambling advertising restrictions introduced in July 2023.
The study further claims that 65.4% of illegal gambling ads analysed had minimum targeting ages below 24.
The report’s conclusions echo separate academic research published in the Journal of Behavioural Addictions. It found evidence that licensed Dutch gambling operators had also improperly targeted users under 24 through Meta advertising tools.
Advertising by Cloaking and Brand Impersonation
The report describes increasingly sophisticated tactics used by illegal operators to avoid automated moderation systems on Meta platforms.
Among the most common methods cited was “cloaking,” in which advertisements appeared to link to legitimate app store pages while secretly redirecting users to unlicensed gambling sites.
Researchers also documented repeated use of recognisable Dutch consumer brands in ad names and domains, including references to Holland Casino, Staatsloterij, ING, and other familiar brands.
Another recurring tactic involved fake testimonial accounts using Dutch-sounding names and fabricated stories about large gambling winnings in order to make ads appear organic and trustworthy.
“Illegal advertisers employ recurring techniques to mask their true identity or evade automated detection,” the report read.
Meta Moderation Described as Reactive Rather Than Preventive
The report acknowledges that Meta operates reporting systems and moderation tools that are intended to tackle illegal advertising activity. However, researchers argue that enforcement appears largely reactive.
According to the study, 38.3% of identified advertisements had already been marked as “taken down,” “page disabled,” or “ad account disabled” during the investigation period. However, researchers believe that new campaigns were still appearing faster than existing ones were removed.
Campaign duration was reportedly extremely short, with a median lifespan of only three days, and more than 93% of campaigns lasted less than two weeks.
“Reactive enforcement takes place, but new illegal advertisements appear faster than existing ones are removed,” the report concluded.
Revenue Estimates Based on Public Advertising Benchmarks
Since Meta does not publish country-specific advertising revenues by sector, investigators relied on publicly available CPM benchmarks from advertising analytics firms, such as SuperAds.ai, Triple Whale, and AdAmigo.ai.
Using CPM estimates ranging from €8 to €15, the report calculated that Meta could have generated between:
- €606,000 and €1.14 million during March 2026 alone
- €7.28 million and €13.65 million annually through linear extrapolation
Still, researchers insisted that these figures are estimates based on public data rather than confirmed Meta revenue numbers and could be inaccurate.
Wider Regulatory Debate Emerging
The report concludes by warning Dutch policymakers that further restrictions on licensed gambling advertising could unintentionally strengthen illegal operators by reducing the visibility of regulated companies.
Researchers argue that illegal gambling networks continue to adapt rapidly across major online platforms and that enforcement efforts must become more proactive and technologically advanced.
The findings are likely to intensify debate in the Netherlands over the balance between consumer protection, advertising restrictions, and the growth of the illegal online gambling market.
