KSA Targets Meta over Illegal Gambling Advertising
THE HAGUE – The Dutch gambling regulator has filed more than 4,600 reports with Meta over illegal gambling advertisements appearing on Facebook and Instagram.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Kansspelautoriteit said the reports were submitted in April as part of a wider push to reduce social media advertising from gambling operators that do not hold a Dutch license.
Illegal Operators Use Athlete and Brand Names
The KSA said unlicensed gambling providers are using social media to promote their sites, often borrowing the names and logos of well-known Dutch athletes and major brands to appear more credible.
The regulator warned that this makes it harder for consumers to identify whether a gambling operator is licensed. It said removing illegal advertising is now a key part of its work to protect players from unregulated providers.
The reports to Meta were discussed during a recent meeting of the KSA’s working group on illegal gambling. Participants shared current trends and discussed how companies can protect their trademarks from being misused by illegal operators.
The regulator said the campaign forms part of a broader strategy involving public authorities, platform operators and private companies. In 2025, the KSA identified around 50,000 illegal gambling ads and also worked on measures to reduce the visibility of unlawful gambling content in Google search results.
Related: KSA Plans Broader Crackdown on Illegal Gambling Ecosystems
More Regulation
Licensed Gambling Ads Also Under Scrutiny
The issue is not limited to unlicensed operators. A recent study by City University of Hong Kong and the University of Bristol found that some ads from KSA-licensed operators on Facebook and Instagram may have breached Dutch age-targeting rules.
The Netherlands bans gambling advertising targeted at people under 24. The study found online licensees were more compliant, while offline licensees had a higher rate of potential breaches when advertising online.
Researchers partly linked the issue to Meta’s automated Advantage+ optimization tool, which can default target ages to 18 unless advertisers manually adjust settings. They also noted that Meta’s reporting system uses broad age brackets, making it difficult to confirm whether 18- to 23-year-olds have been excluded.
The findings have added pressure on both gambling operators and social media platforms to tighten ad controls. Researchers suggested Meta could provide more precise age-range reporting and apply country-specific legal age limits by default.
Advertising Pressure Builds in the Netherlands
The Dutch government has already been moving toward tighter gambling advertising controls, including proposals for a wider ban on gambling ads.
For the KSA, the latest reports to Meta show how illegal operators continue to exploit social media visibility even as licensed companies face stricter standards. The regulator’s position is that illegal gambling advertising exposes players to greater risks because those operators sit outside Dutch consumer protection, responsible gambling and enforcement rules.
The growing pressure on Meta also reflects a wider regulatory challenge. Gambling authorities can act against licensed companies directly, but removing illegal ads at scale increasingly depends on cooperation from major digital platforms.
RELATED TOPICS: Regulation
Review this New Post
Leave a Comment
User Comments
Comments for KSA Targets Meta over Illegal Gambling Advertising