On Monday, Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA), the quality mark for Dutch casino affiliates, expressed serious concerns about Google’s search features leading Dutch consumers to illegal online gambling platforms. This warning was conveyed in a LinkedIn post where the group highlighted the risks associated not just with paid advertisements, but also with Google’s autocomplete and suggested search queries.
KVA's analysis was based on data gathered primarily through Chrome's incognito mode, which avoided any influence from personalized search histories. They identified various autocomplete and pre-fill search queries that pointed users towards illegal gambling sites. For instance, phrases like "online casino zonder Cruks" (online casino without CRUKS, the self-exclusion registry for problematic gamblers) and "beste online casino buitenland" (best online casino abroad) were noted as particularly concerning.
KVA raised the alarm over the potential manipulation of Google's autocomplete function by unauthorized operators aimed at redirecting users to illegal gambling options. They recognized that while Google has been cooperative in removing paid ads for illegal casinos, more comprehensive actions are required to address issues in organic search results.
Concerns about illegal gambling have also been echoed by Dutch lawmakers. In December 2025, CDA MP Straatman questioned the state secretary about the immediate removal of websites that advertise as "Beste casino’s zonder Cruks." In a January 2026 written response, the then-state secretary Arno Rutte admitted that enforcement concerning such websites was limited, particularly for domains not using the .nl extension.
Currently, KT van Bruggen, the state secretary for Justice and Security, has emphasized the urgent need for effective measures to combat access to illegal platforms. A recent committee composed of Members of Parliament from various political parties has echoed these worries, especially regarding the roles of tech giants like Meta and Google in facilitating the black market for gambling.
Members of the VVD party have called for a stricter approach towards these tech companies, with van Bruggen mentioning that both Meta and Google are willing to engage in discussions with the government. A commitment was made to provide a report to the government every six months on illegal gambling advertisements appearing across these platforms.
The concerns raised by KVA also reflect a wider European scrutiny of how significant online platforms direct traffic to unlicensed gambling services. In Sweden, for example, Spelinspektionen recently pointed out that affiliates and social media play a crucial role in black market advertising and in redirecting search traffic to unlicensed operators.
While regulators have primarily focused on monitoring paid advertisements, in Germany, the GGL has acknowledged that an updated Google ad policy has helped reduce the visibility of black market operations. However, they also noted that illegal operators continue to exploit SEO manipulation to appear in organic searches. This indicates a growing recognition of the importance of addressing organic search signals and domain-level practices, an issue similar to concerns raised in the UK, where research has linked black market growth to search-driven promotion and SEO exploitation.
