Over 95% of Dutch Gambling Ads on Meta Link to Illegal Operators

Analysis shows illegal gambling ads gained tens of millions of impressions in late 2025 despite turnover policies.

Key Points

• More than 95% of gambling advertisements on Meta platforms originated from operators without Dutch licences.
• Most illegal ads remained active for fewer than two days before replacement occurred within Meta systems.
• Meta removed under 6% of detected illegal gambling promotions despite sustained reporting activity.

Illegal gambling advertising continues to reach Dutch consumers via Meta platforms, based on VNLOK research findings. The study examined Meta Ads Library records from October to December 2025, including Facebook pages and paid ads. Across the review period, over 95% of gambling promotions came from providers operating without Dutch approval.

Researchers counted 588 gambling Facebook pages in October 2025, rising to 1,158 in November and 1,003 in December, with illegal shares increasing. November recorded 97.5% illegal pages, followed by 97.8% during December, according to VNLOK data.

Advertising activity followed similar movements, showing sustained promotion from unlicensed gambling providers. VNLOK logged 61,717 ads in October, increasing to 84,493 during November before declining to 67,732.

Each month showed illegal providers responsible for between 95.9% and 97.2% of advertisements. The report also examined advertising rotation speed involving illegal gambling content on Meta. October data showed illegal ads averaged one and a half days of visibility. Close to 80% of those ads appeared for less than 24 hours. 

During November and December, average visibility reached two days, though most ads stayed under one day. Meta enforcement actions remained limited despite repeated identification of illegal gambling advertisements. Removal reached 3% during October, increased to 5.2% in November, then fell to 4.7%. Dutch gambling regulation includes advertising limits and consumer protection requirements such as affordability checks.

Illegal operators bypass these rules while accessing Dutch users through social platforms. VNLOK warned that continued exposure weakens consumer protection aims and market confidence. The group urged Meta to improve detection, accelerate removals, and act against marketing intermediaries. Malaysian authorities voiced similar complaints in October 2025 regarding illegal gambling ads on Meta.