Dutch gambling trade body joins UKGC in Meta criticism

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Punchy: this is about regulators calling out a major tech platform for enabling illegal gambling advertising. Read the detail if you care about consumer protection, ad compliance or platform accountability — it matters.

Summary

Vergunde Nederlandse Online Kansspelaanbieders (VNLOK), the Dutch gambling trade body, has criticised Meta for allowing a flood of illegal gambling promotions to reach Dutch players via its platforms. VNLOK’s analysis of Meta’s ads library from October–December 2025 found that over 95% of gambling pages and adverts targeting the Netherlands were from unlicensed operators, yet Meta removed only a small fraction of them. The UK Gambling Commission has echoed these concerns, saying Meta has made limited progress on tackling illegal ads and should be doing much more to prevent criminals profiting from the platform.

Key Points

VNLOK analysis (Oct–Dec 2025) found >95% of gambling Facebook pages and adverts targeting the Netherlands were from illegal operators.
Meta removal rates were very low: ~3% in October, 5.2% in November and 4.7% in December.
Impressions for illegal adverts peaked at about 50 million in November 2025; most illegal ads were visible for only one–two days but circulated widely.
VNLOK warns viral social content (not just paid ads) is increasingly used to promote illegal sites and may attract minors and young adults.
VNLOK calls for: improved proactive detection & rapid takedowns by Meta; stronger enforcement by Dutch authorities against facilitators; and careful policymaking so legal operators aren’t pushed out.
The UK Gambling Commission (Tim Miller) criticised Meta for limited progress and questioned why Meta isn’t proactively using its own tools to stop illegal gambling advertising.

Context and relevance

This story sits at the intersection of tech platform responsibility, ad compliance and gambling regulation. With both a national trade body and the UKGC publicly pressing Meta, the issue could prompt tougher platform obligations, increased enforcement, and closer scrutiny of how social networks verify advertisers. Operators, regulators, advertisers and compliance teams across Europe should watch closely — policy responses here could signal changes to how platforms manage regulated advertising globally.

Why should I read this?

Because if you work in regulation, marketing or iGaming, this is where the rules and reality are colliding. Meta’s sitting on a problem that’s feeding illegal sites and attracting young people — and regulators aren’t happy. Short version: it could mean tougher enforcement and new expectations for platforms and advertisers. Worth a quick read so you’re not caught off guard.