On Monday, Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA), the Dutch quality mark for casino affiliates, expressed concerns about Google’s search functions inadvertently guiding Dutch consumers to illegal online gambling platforms. The organization shared its apprehensions in a LinkedIn post, emphasizing the risks inherent in Google’s organic search features, particularly autocomplete suggestions, beyond the usual paid advertisements.
The KVA's analysis, conducted mainly via Chrome’s incognito mode to avoid personalized search results, unveiled several autocomplete queries that directly promoted illegal gambling sites. Among the troubling search phrases identified were “online casino zonder Cruks” (online casino without CRUKS, the self-exclusion registry for problem gamblers in the Netherlands) and “beste online casino buitenland” (best online casino abroad).
The organization raised alarms about unauthorized operators manipulating Google’s autocomplete features to lead users toward illegal gambling options. While KVA acknowledged Google’s cooperation in removing paid ads that promote illegal casinos, it stressed the necessity for more comprehensive actions to tackle organic search results.
The issue has echoes in Dutch politics, as MPs have previously expressed similar concerns. In December 2025, CDA MP Straatman questioned whether sites advertising as “Beste casino’s zonder Cruks” should be eliminated immediately. A response from Arno Rutte, the state secretary at that time, in January 2026, pointed out the limited enforcement capabilities against these sites, particularly those using domains not ending in .nl.
KVA highlighted that KT van Bruggen, the current state secretary for Justice and Security, has indicated a pressing need for effective strategies to restrict access to illegal platforms. Just last week, a parliamentary committee, which included members from various political parties across the Netherlands, raised issues regarding the role of Meta and Google in supporting the illegal gambling market.
Members of the VVD party called for the government to adopt a firmer approach toward these tech giants. Van Bruggen informed the gambling committee of both Meta and Google’s willingness to engage in discussions with the government about these concerns. She mentioned that the government would receive biannual reports on illegal gambling advertisements on these platforms.
KVA’s statements align with a larger regulatory movement throughout Europe, where authorities are increasingly examining the capability of major internet platforms to direct users to unlicensed gambling services. For instance, in Sweden, Spelinspektionen recently identified affiliates and social media as significant channels for black market ads and how affiliate networks can redirect users to unlicensed operators.
While regulators have concentrated on monitoring paid advertisements, the GGL in Germany noted that an updated Google ad policy has diminished the visibility of black market operations. However, they recognized that illegal operators can still appear in organic searches due to SEO manipulation, suggesting a growing focus on organic search practices and domain-level issues. Similar concerns have been raised in the UK, linking black market migration to search-driven promotion and exploitation of SEO strategies.
