Dutch users are still exposed to illegal gambling advertising on Facebook and Instagram, according to the trade association VNLOK. It was found that over 90% of gambling ads linked to online casinos without a Dutch license.
In a notice, VNLOK reported that between 94% and 97% of gambling advertisements that reached Dutch users in May and June were from unlicensed operators.
The findings were based on periodic reviews of Meta’s Ads Library, with VNLOK reviewing Facebook pages advertising via casino-related search terms. The organisation said illegal operators were increasingly using unrelated pages and sophisticated techniques to evade detection and attract consumers to their platforms.
Illegal Ads Dominate Facebook Pages
Out of the unique Facebook pages that were found to include gambling ads, 96% of promotions in May directed users to illegal betting operators. Alarmingly, the figure increased to 98.8% in June.
At the same time, the number of Facebook pages displaying gambling advertisements increased sharply, from 697 in May to 3,237 in June.
According to VNLOK, these pages were rarely identifiable as gambling businesses. Instead, they included more than 100 types of pages, including fan pages, municipal pages, marketing agencies, entertainment websites and personal blogs.
“This fragmentation makes detection at page level difficult and allows advertisers to continue under a new identity immediately after a removal.”
VNLOK also analysed the 65,000 gambling advertisements with the largest reach. It classified 96.5% of those published in May as illegal, compared with 93.7% in June.
Ads are Quick to Disappear
Additionally, the group claimed that the speed at which illegal advertisements are launched and removed creates an additional enforcement challenge.
In May, gambling advertisements remained online for an average of 1.58 days, with 76% visible for less than 24 hours. The average duration increased to two days in June, while 65% of advertisements remained online for less than a day.
Meta removed 11% of the more than 60,000 illegal advertisements identified in May, according to VNLOK. The figure rose to 15% in June.
While VNLOK acknowledged the improvement, it argued that removal after an advertisement has gone live often comes too late.
“Because most advertisements remain live for less than a day, removal often takes place only after a large part of the reach has already been achieved,” the organisation said.
Illegal Casinos Rely on New Tactics
In its review, VNLOK also identified several techniques being used to bypass platform moderation, including cloaking, Telegram redirects and the misuse of established gambling brands.
Through cloaking, different users can be presented with different landing pages depending on factors such as their demographic profile and the time of access. VNLOK said regulators or other users may see a fake error page, while potential gamblers are redirected to an illegal casino application.
The organisation also identified a method involving Telegram channels. Users clicking on a Facebook advertisement can be directed to a Telegram channel promising exclusive bonuses, where a bot opens a “mini-app” functioning as an online casino.
Illegal operators are also allegedly using the names and logos of established Dutch gambling brands to create an appearance of legitimacy before directing users to unregulated websites.
VNLOK Chairman Björn Fuchs said the findings demonstrated the scale of the problem.
“The figures show that illegal gambling advertising remains widespread on Meta. This puts player protection under pressure,” he said.
He also said that people gambling with illegal operators were “more than four times as likely to have a high-risk profile”, making it particularly important to prevent such advertisements from reaching Dutch consumers.
VNLOK Takes Action Against Meta
The latest findings come after VNLOK announced in June that it was preparing legal action against Meta over illegal gambling advertising. The trade association has also filed a complaint with the European Commission.
VNLOK is calling for Meta to verify gambling advertisers targeting Dutch consumers before advertisements are published, rather than relying primarily on removal after publication.
It also wants the Dutch Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit) to take stronger action against platforms, marketing companies and affiliates that facilitate access to illegal gambling services.
The dispute comes amid wider scrutiny of social media platforms’ responsibility for gambling-related content.
In January, the Paris Court of Appeal upheld an order requiring Meta to filter certain fraudulent gambling advertisements using the Barrière casino brand. The case involved at least 2,400 advertisements identified across Facebook, Instagram and Messenger.
Targeting Ads Aimed at Young Adults
The issue of gambling advertising on Meta doesn't concern only unregulated operators. Dutch law also prohibits gambling ads from specifically targeting young adults aged 18 to 23.
An academic review of 277 advertisements in Meta’s advertising library previously found that the rules were breached by both online and brick-and-mortar licensed casinos. Approximately 7.3% of ads from online operators targeted the 18-to-23 age group, compared with 29.8% of promotions from land-based operators.
People in this age group are legally allowed to gamble in the Netherlands, but they are subject to additional advertising protections because policymakers consider them particularly vulnerable to gambling-related harm.
VNLOK argues that maintaining a visible legal gambling market is also important. The association warned that further restrictions on licensed casinos could reduce the visibility of regulated alternatives, potentially making it harder for consumers to distinguish legal services from illegal ones.
According to the organisation, a combination of pre-publication advertiser verification, stronger action against facilitators and a recognisable legal offering was needed to improve consumer protection.
