Netherlands: 97% of Meta Gambling Ads Are Illegal

Dutch industry association VNLOK reported that between 94% and 97% of gambling advertisements on Facebook and Instagram during May and June were placed by unlicensed operators, according to a report by iGaming Express.

VNLOK analyzed 65,000 ads with the highest reach, finding that 96.5% of gambling ads in May and 93.7% in June came from illegal operators. The number of Facebook pages used to run such advertisements increased fivefold within a month, rising from 697 to 3,237. Meta removed only 11% of flagged ads in May and 15% in June, with VNLOK noting that many ads reportedly achieved significant reach before removal occurred.

The findings follow VNLOK's earlier legal action against Meta, including a lawsuit and a complaint filed with the European Commission over what the association described as insufficient enforcement against illegal gambling advertising on Facebook and Instagram. The scale of illegal advertising documented in this latest report suggests Meta's existing moderation measures continue to lag significantly behind the volume of unlicensed gambling promotion appearing on its platforms in the Dutch market.