On Monday, the Dutch gambling trade association VNLOK officially filed legal action against Meta, alleging that the tech company has permitted illegal gambling advertisements to target consumers in the Netherlands.
Based in The Hague, VNLOK represents licensed online gambling operators in the country. This lawsuit follows months of warnings and investigations regarding Meta’s advertising practices. The association asserts that over 90% of gambling ads on Facebook are from operators that lack a license in the Netherlands.
VNLOK pointed out that Meta removed only 11% of flagged illegal ads in May and 15% in June after the issue was raised. The association initially commenced legal proceedings in June, contending that Meta had failed to adequately address the prevalence of illegal online gambling ads directed at Dutch users on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. They also filed a formal complaint with the European Commission.
“We have repeatedly pointed out the scale of the problem to Meta and asked them to cooperate structurally in finding a solution. That has yielded insufficient results. Therefore, we are now submitting the case to the Dutch courts,” stated VNLOK chairman Fuchs.
In its latest statement, VNLOK indicated that this legal action is considered "the final step". The association is seeking a court ruling against Meta for not fulfilling its obligations under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which mandates that major online platforms proactively address illegal content. These platforms are required to implement safeguards to prevent the visibility of illegal gambling ads to Dutch users.
According to VNLOK, Meta platforms displayed over 70,000 gambling-related advertisements in the last quarter of 2025, with unlicensed operators accounting for more than 95% of these ads. VNLOK also reported that Meta removed less than 5% of these advertisements.
The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), confirmed it filed thousands of complaints with Meta regarding illegal gambling ads on a monthly basis throughout 2025.
In conjunction with the lawsuit, parliamentary discussions are underway in the Netherlands to give the KSA explicit authority to impose fines on digital platforms that fail to act on repeated notice of illegal gambling advertisements. This motion, introduced by MP Bart Bikkers and colleagues from the VVD party, is set for a vote in the House of Representatives tomorrow.
VNLOK supports this parliamentary initiative but has urged the KSA to take prompt action without waiting for legislative changes. "The regulator must hold parties that play a role in reaching Dutch consumers with illegal offerings more emphatically accountable for their responsibility. No legislative amendment is needed for this; the regulator already has those legal options," Fuchs remarked in the association's statement.
"Meta is currently the party we are taking legal action against, but the problem is broader," Fuchs added. "If an illegal provider is removed via one platform, the same provider pops up again via another channel. Then we are constantly playing catch-up. All parties in this chain must take responsibility."
During a recent debate in the House of Representatives gambling committee, the importance of open communication with Meta and similar tech companies was highlighted as a crucial element in addressing the growing black market issue. Members noted the increase in advertisements for illegal gambling sites across social media, prompting the sector to pursue legal action against Meta to combat this problem.
Minister Claudia Van Bruggen reported that Meta has shown willingness to engage in dialogue with the government to jointly tackle the black market. She affirmed that the government would receive biannual reports on illegal gambling advertising across these platforms and emphasized the need for an EU-level resolution through the Digital Services Act.
