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he Dutch regulated online gambling market faces a visibility problem, and licensed operators now want Meta held responsible for part of it.
Good to know
- VNLOK has started legal action against Meta and filed a complaint with the European Commission.
- Kansspelautoriteit, or KSA, said Dutch online gambling channelisation fell to 49% in the first half of 2025.
- VNLOK estimates illegal online gambling revenue in the Netherlands at more than €1 billion ($1.1 billion) a year.
Licensed Brands Face A Tougher Ad Fight
The case lands while the Netherlands debates much tighter gambling advertising rules. Earlier in June 2026, the cabinet proposed an almost total ban on online gambling ads and bonuses, with narrow carve outs to keep licensed operators visible.
That last part is the tension. Legal brands already work under Dutch rules on player protection, age checks, advertising limits and responsible gambling. Unlicensed operators do not carry the same burden, yet VNLOK says many still reach Dutch players through Facebook and Instagram.
KSA channelisation data shows why operators worry. In the first half of 2025, only 49% of online gambling activity stayed with licensed providers. A lower legal channel rate can weaken consumer protection, tax collection and oversight.
Against that backdrop, VNLOK has moved against Meta in court and in Brussels. The trade association argues that platform enforcement has not kept pace with the illegal gambling market.
Meta Ads Kept Returning Under New Names
VNLOK said Meta platforms showed more than 70,000 gambling related adverts in the final quarter of 2025. The association estimated that unlicensed operators accounted for more than 95% of them.
Removal rates looked far smaller. VNLOK said Meta took down fewer than 5% of those ads.
The pattern, according to the group, is not just one bad batch of adverts. Illegal ads often return after removal with slightly altered identities, pages or URLs. VNLOK compared Meta handling of the issue to cleaning up water while leaving the tap open.
KSA gave a similar picture in its 2025 report. The regulator said it filed thousands of complaints about illegal gambling ads with Meta every month. KSA also told broadcaster NOS that ads usually stay live for about a day and a half before removal.
VNLOK Wants Platform Accountability
VNLOK chairman Björn Fuchs tied the issue to player risk rather than only unfair competition. Fuchs warned that “vulnerable players, including young people, are exposed to great risks” according to a VNLOK statement.
The European Commission complaint gives the dispute a wider platform law angle. VNLOK wants EU officials to examine Meta handling of illegal gambling promotion on Facebook and Instagram, especially when Dutch users can see ads from operators without a local licence.
The post Dutch iGaming Operators Take Meta To Court Over Gambling Ads appeared first on iGaming.org.