European Gambling Regulators and Google Build Whitelist of Licensed Operators

A group of European gambling regulators is working with Google on a whitelist of licensed iGaming operators designed to make it easier for the technology company to exclude illegal gambling businesses from its platforms.

Netherlands Gambling Authority chair Michel Groothuizen disclosed the initiative on October 14, saying a joint task force is already compiling a list of operators legally authorised across EU markets.

The project emerged from meetings between the KSA, several other European regulators, Google and Meta at the companies' European headquarters in Dublin earlier this year.

According to Groothuizen, operators outside the whitelist could then be rejected by Google as unauthorised gambling providers.

The precise implementation, products covered and launch date have not yet been disclosed.

Whitelist Could Simplify Gambling Verification

The initiative addresses a longstanding problem for technology platforms: determining whether a gambling advertiser or website is legally permitted to target users in a particular jurisdiction.

European gambling licensing remains largely national. An operator authorised in one EU country is not automatically entitled to offer gambling in another.

A regulator-backed whitelist could give Google a central reference for checking which businesses hold the required local authorisations.

Groothuizen described the project as a potential way of closing a major distribution channel for illegal operators.

However, inclusion or exclusion from the proposed list should not be confused with a new EU-wide gambling licence or formal legal classification. National regulators will continue to determine which operators are authorised in their respective markets.

KSA Prefers Cooperation Before Litigation

The whitelist forms part of a broader KSA strategy of targeting the infrastructure that allows illegal gambling operators to reach Dutch consumers.

Groothuizen said traditional enforcement against offshore operators has limitations, particularly when regulators impose fines that are difficult to collect.

The authority has therefore increasingly focused on reducing illegal operators' access to advertising, search visibility and payment infrastructure.

Rather than immediately taking major technology companies to court, the KSA and other regulators have chosen to first pursue voluntary cooperation.

Groothuizen argued that litigation against Very Large Online Platforms could take years because of the companies' financial resources, complex legal questions and the possibility of appeals through multiple levels of court.

Meta Joined Talks but Google Leads Whitelist Work

Both Google and Meta participated in the Dublin discussions with European regulators.

The whitelist project disclosed by Groothuizen is specifically being developed with Google.

The KSA chair did not announce an equivalent whitelist with Meta, although the regulator continues to engage with both companies over illegal gambling advertising and distribution.

The talks are taking place against a backdrop of growing concern among regulators over advertisements for unlicensed gambling, including campaigns aimed at self-excluded players and other vulnerable groups.

Legal Action Remains an Option

Cooperation does not mean the KSA has ruled out enforcement against technology companies.

Groothuizen said the regulator continues to prepare potential legal cases while negotiating voluntary measures.

If the platforms fail to make sufficient progress, or if the measures introduced prove ineffective, the KSA is prepared to pursue legal action against one of the companies involved.

The regulator has not identified which company could be targeted or set a deadline for deciding whether to litigate.

For licensed iGaming operators, the proposed whitelist could eventually make local regulatory status more important to access not only gambling markets themselves but also the major digital platforms used for advertising and customer acquisition.