On Monday, the Dutch gambling trade association VNLOK initiated legal proceedings against Meta, alleging that the tech company has permitted a widespread dissemination of illegal gambling advertisements targeting consumers in the Netherlands.
VNLOK, which is based in The Hague, represents the nation's licensed online gambling operators. The lawsuit follows several months during which the association issued warnings and conducted investigations regarding Meta's advertising practices.
According to VNLOK, over 90% of the gambling advertisements appearing on Facebook come from operators that lack proper licensing in the Netherlands. Despite raising these concerns, VNLOK noted that Meta removed just 11% of flagged illegal ads in May and 15% in June.
Legal action against Meta began in June of this year, with VNLOK charging that the social media giant failed to adequately prevent illegal online gambling ads from being shown to Dutch users on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. Alongside the lawsuit, VNLOK has also filed a formal complaint with the European Commission.
VNLOK's chairman, Fuchs, expressed the urgency of the 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 Monday statement, VNLOK described the current legal action as "the final step" in their ongoing efforts. The association seeks a court ruling against Meta for allegedly failing to meet its obligations under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA). This regulation mandates that major online platforms take proactive measures to combat illegal content, specifically requiring them to implement safeguards against illegal gambling advertisements targeting Dutch users.
According to VNLOK, Meta's own platforms displayed over 70,000 gambling-related ads in the last quarter of 2025, with an estimated 95% linked to unlicensed operators. Unfortunately, VNLOK discovered that Meta removed fewer than 5% of these ads.
The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), confirmed that it had filed thousands of complaints about illegal gambling advertisements with Meta each month in 2025.
In tandem with their lawsuit, parliamentary discussions are underway in the Netherlands aimed at granting the KSA the authority to impose fines on digital platforms that fail to act on illegal gambling advertising after receiving multiple notifications. A parliamentary motion introduced by MP Bart Bikkers and members of the VVD party is set to be voted on tomorrow. It seeks to establish a clear legal framework to enable the KSA to enforce sanctions against platforms that allow illegal ads to persist despite repeated warnings.
VNLOK supports this parliamentary initiative but urges the KSA to take action 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."
Fuchs also commented on the broader nature of the issue, noting, "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 within a House of Representatives gambling committee, the importance of open communication between the government and big tech firms like Meta was emphasized in terms of curbing the black market's expansion.
Minister Claudia Van Bruggen informed committee members that Meta is willing to engage in dialogue with the government to combat illegal gambling advertising: "Meta, especially as one of the parties, but also Google, is really open to this conversation," she said.
The government plans to receive reports on illegal gambling advertising on these platforms every six months, Van Bruggen stated, while insisting that the matter needs to be addressed at the EU level through the Digital Services Act.
