In a scathing critique of big tech’s regulatory oversight, Holland Casino has publicly lamented the perceived lack of action from Meta regarding the proliferation of illegal gambling advertisements.
This outcry comes as the Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), revealed it reported over 4,600 fraudulent Facebook and Instagram ads to the tech giant in just the past month alone.
Misleading Credibility and Consumer Risk
The KSA has intensified its communication with Meta, pointing out that unlicensed providers are increasingly using the names and images of famous Dutch athletes and major corporate brands to “enhance their credibility.” This tactic leaves consumers unable to distinguish between regulated and unregulated platforms.
Holland Casino, the state-owned operator, revealed it has issued two cease-and-desist letters to Meta demanding a crackdown on trademark infringement, with seemingly no results.
The company stated:
“Despite the scale and severity of the misleading activities, no action has been taken by Meta to date. Holland Casino continues to insist on structural measures from social media platforms to better protect consumers against abuse and is considering measures to compel Meta to take action against malicious providers.”
The Data Behind the Abuse
Data from October 2025 illustrates the staggering scale of the problem. While Holland Casino sent out roughly 1,900 legitimate ad messages, over 64,000 advertisements in the same month were found to be misusing the company’s logo. This means legitimate advertising accounted for less than three percent of the brand’s total visual footprint on Meta platforms.
The operator warned of the direct impact on the public:
“This has direct consequences for players. They end up on illegal platforms without protection and at risk of fraud, unfair gaming practices and misuse of personal data. At the same time, trust in legal providers is declining. This is evidenced, among other things, by an increase in inquiries to customer service, where players want to verify whether an advertisement is reliable.”
As the legal iGaming market in the Netherlands faces stagnation, with the KSA reporting a decline in the proportion of gross gaming revenue going to regulated operators, the battle against social media-driven black market growth has become a top priority for Dutch officials.
