The Dutch online gambling association, VNLOK, has issued a scathing critique of Meta, accusing the tech giant of allowing an overwhelming volume of illegal gambling advertisements to flood Facebook.
In a statement released Monday, VNLOK revealed the results of a review covering October through December 2025. The data showed that over 95% of gambling promotions identified on the platform during this period originated from unlicensed operators.
Systemic Failure
VNLOK claims that illegal ads are generating massive reach, peaking at approximately 50 million impressions in November alone. The association noted that while individual ads typically vanish within two days, often due to “churn” rather than enforcement, the sheer volume ensures that illegal operators remain visible to Dutch consumers.
Björn Fuchs, chair of VNLOK, described the findings as “schrikbarend” (startling). He warned that the barrage of offshore marketing undermines the regulated market’s promise of safety.
“Startling,” Fuchs said of the findings, noting that the trend chips away at consumer confidence in the legal Dutch system.
Call for Action
The trade group argues that Meta’s current reactive approach is insufficient. VNLOK is urging the platform to implement proactive detection measures rather than relying on reports to remove violating content. They also called on the Dutch regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), to take stricter action against the marketing intermediaries facilitating this traffic.
The standoff mirrors similar tensions in the UK, where the Gambling Commission recently criticized Meta for failing to use its own data tools to police illegal gambling content effectively.
