The Dutch association of licensed gambling operators VNLOK has filed a lawsuit against Meta and submitted an appeal to the European Commission in 2026. The legal action addresses the persistent display of unlicensed gambling advertisements across Facebook and Instagram.
During the fourth quarter of 2025, Meta platforms hosted more than 70,000 gambling-related advertisements in the region. VNLOK reports that over 95 percent of these promotions featured unlicensed operators, while Meta removed fewer than 5 percent following user complaints. The association notes that the Dutch illegal online gambling market now generates more than €1 billion annually, matching the size of the regulated sector.
Regulatory Response and Platform Delays
The Dutch gambling regulator KSA confirms the operational delay, stating that Meta typically removes non-compliant gambling advertisements within 36 hours. Operators frequently bypass this filter by relaunching the same campaigns under new account identifiers and web addresses.Dutch authorities have previously pursued stricter advertising controls, including plans for a near-total ban on online gambling promotions. In April 2026 alone, KSA submitted more than 4,600 complaints to Meta regarding illegal online casino advertisements.