Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA), a quality mark for Dutch casino affiliates, raised concerns in a LinkedIn post on Monday regarding Google’s influence on directing Dutch consumers to illegal online gambling sites.
The KVA pointed out the potential risks that Google’s organic search functions, including autocomplete and suggested queries, may pose in addition to its paid advertising features.
Research conducted mainly through Chrome’s incognito mode revealed several autocomplete queries suggesting illegal gambling sites to users. Notable examples included terms like “online casino zonder Cruks” (which translates to online casino without CRUKS, the Dutch self-exclusion registry for gambling issues) and “beste online casino buitenland” (best online casino abroad).
The KVA expressed apprehension about how unauthorized operators might manipulate Google’s autocomplete function, leading users to illegal gambling offers. While the group acknowledged Google’s efforts in removing paid advertisements for illegal casinos, it called for further action from the company to manage organic search results.
Concerns have also been raised in Dutch politics regarding illegal gambling. In December 2025, CDA MP Straatman questioned the availability of websites advertising as “Beste casino’s zonder Cruks” and suggested they be taken offline.
A written response in January 2026 from then-state secretary Arno Rutte noted that enforcement against these sites was limited, particularly for domains that do not end in .nl. Currently, KVA reports that KT van Bruggen, the state secretary for Justice and Security, has highlighted the urgent need for effective measures to curtail access to illegal platforms.
A committee of Dutch MPs recently echoed worries about Meta and Google aiding the black market. Members of the VVD party urged the government to adopt a firmer stance on these major tech platforms. Van Bruggen informed the gambling committee that both Meta and Google are willing to engage in dialogue with the government.
She announced plans for biannual reports to be submitted to the government on illegal gambling advertising across these platforms.
The KVA’s concerns reflect a growing trend across Europe, where regulatory bodies are scrutinizing how major internet services drive traffic to unlicensed gambling operations. In Sweden, Spelinspektionen identified affiliates and social media as significant channels for black market advertising, noting that affiliate networks funnel search traffic to unlicensed providers.
Regulators primarily focused on monitoring paid advertising have observed a reduction in black market visibility due to changes in Google ad policies, as noted by Germany’s GGL. However, they acknowledged that illegal operators could still gain visibility through SEO manipulation in organic search results.
This shift indicates a broader emphasis on addressing organic search practices and issues such as doorway pages, similar to concerns raised in the UK, where studies have linked black market migrations to search-driven promotions and exploitation of SEO.
