On Monday, Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA), the Dutch organization that ensures quality among casino affiliates, raised alarms about Google’s search features leading Dutch consumers to illegal online gambling platforms via a LinkedIn post.
KVA pointed out the risks associated with Google’s organic search functionalities, particularly autocomplete and suggested queries, beyond its paid advertisements.
In their analysis, KVA utilized data obtained through Chrome’s incognito mode to minimize the impact of personalized search histories, revealing several autocomplete suggestions that directed users to illegal gambling sites. Examples of these suggestions included "online casino zonder Cruks" (online casino without CRUKS, which is the Dutch self-exclusion registry for problem gamblers) and "beste online casino buitenland" (best online casino abroad). KVA expressed concern about the possibility that unauthorized operators might manipulate Google’s autocomplete features to steer Dutch users to these illegal gambling offerings.
While KVA acknowledged Google’s efforts in removing paid ads that promote illegal casinos, they stressed the importance of the company taking broader measures to address organic search results.
This issue has been a point of contention among Dutch lawmakers as well. In December 2025, CDA MP Straatman questioned the state secretary about the removal of websites advertising as "Beste casino's zonder Cruks" and whether they should be immediately taken offline. In a written reply issued in January 2026, then-state secretary Arno Rutte conceded that enforcement actions against such sites were still limited, particularly with domains not ending in the .nl extension. KVA reports that KT van Bruggen, the current state secretary for Justice and Security, has underscored the urgent need for effective measures to block access to these illegal platforms.
Last week, a parliamentary committee consisting of representatives from various political parties in the Netherlands echoed these concerns regarding the roles of Meta and Google in contributing to the growth of the black market. Members of the VVD party pushed for a more stringent approach towards these major tech companies. Van Bruggen informed the gambling committee that both Meta and Google are open to engaging in discussions with the government on this matter. Additionally, she noted that the government would receive updates every six months regarding illegal gambling advertisements on these platforms.
The KVA’s warnings reflect a wider trend in Europe, as regulators increasingly examine how large internet platforms generate traffic for unlicensed gambling services. In Sweden, Spelinspektionen has recently identified affiliates and social media as significant channels for black market advertising, discovering how affiliate networks redirect search traffic towards unlicensed operators.
Thus far, regulatory scrutiny has mostly focused on paid ads. In Germany, the GGL credited a revamped Google ad policy with diminishing the visibility of the black market. However, they recognized that illegal operators can still gain presence in organic searches through SEO manipulation. This highlights a broader shift in efforts to tackle issues surrounding organic search signals and practices like doorway pages, a concern similarly raised in the UK, where studies have linked black market activity to promotion through search engines and exploitation of SEO tactics.
