On Monday, the Dutch gambling trade association VNLOK took legal action against Meta, alleging the tech company has facilitated an extensive range of illegal gambling advertisements targeted at consumers in the Netherlands.
VNLOK, based in The Hague and representing the country's licensed online gambling operators, filed the lawsuit after a series of warnings and investigations directed at Meta. The association claims that over 90% of gambling ads on Facebook are from unlicensed operators.
After expressing concerns, VNLOK noted that Meta only removed 11% of reported illegal ads in May and 15% in June this year. Legal action against Meta was first initiated by VNLOK in June, when the association accused the social media giant of failing to curb the proliferation of unlawful online gambling advertisements aimed at Dutch users on Facebook and Instagram. In addition to this lawsuit, they also filed a formal complaint with the European Commission.
VNLOK's chairman, Fuchs, commented on the ongoing situation, stating, “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.”
In its latest statement, VNLOK described the current move as "the final step" in its legal proceedings. The association is seeking a court ruling affirming Meta's failure to meet its responsibilities under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), a regulation that mandates online platforms to proactively counter illegal content. Platforms are required to implement measures that prevent the display of illegal gambling advertisements to Dutch users.
According to VNLOK, Meta's platforms showcased more than 70,000 gambling-related advertisements in the last quarter of 2025, with over 95% attributed to unlicensed operators. Among these, VNLOK reported that Meta managed to remove less than 5% of such advertisements.
The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), confirmed that it filed thousands of complaints about illegal gambling advertisements with Meta each month in 2025.
Meanwhile, discussions in the Dutch Parliament are underway to empower the KSA with the authority to impose fines on digital platforms that fail to take action against illegal gambling ads after multiple warnings. A motion introduced by MP Bart Bikkers and his VVD colleagues will be voted on in the House of Representatives tomorrow; if passed, it will create a legal framework for sanctioning platforms that persistently display illegal ads.
VNLOK has expressed support for this parliamentary initiative, urging the KSA to act swiftly without waiting for legislative changes. Fuchs stated, "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."
He added, “Meta is currently the party we are taking legal action against, but the problem is broader. 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.”
In a recent debate by the House of Representatives gambling committee, the importance of communication with large tech companies like Meta was highlighted as crucial in combating the growing black market in gambling. Lawmakers noted the rising prevalence of illegal gambling site advertisements on social media, prompting the sector to seek direct legal action against Meta.
During the session, Minister Claudia Van Bruggen remarked that Meta had shown willingness to engage with the government in efforts to tackle the black market. "Meta, especially as one of the parties but also Google, is really open to this conversation," she stated. The government plans to receive semi-annual reports on illegal gambling advertising across these platforms and emphasized that addressing this issue is necessary at the EU level, in accordance with the Digital Services Act.
