VNLOK Sues Meta Over Illegal Gambling Ads in Netherlands

The Dutch online gambling association VNLOK has filed legal action against Meta, citing the company's continued failure to remove illegal gambling advertisements from Facebook and Instagram in the Netherlands.

The case matters because it tests how much responsibility platforms carry for illegal content placed by advertisers rather than published directly by the company.

A 5% Removal Rate

VNLOK says Meta removed only 5% of unlicensed gambling ads flagged across its platforms, a rate the association calls structurally inadequate. Despite thousands of monthly reports filed by the Dutch gambling regulator, the Kansspelautoriteit, black market operators have continued to relaunch ads faster than Meta removes them.

VNLOK said Meta acts only after harm has already occurred and has declined to engage in substantive dialogue about the failures, leaving legal action as the remaining option.

[EMBED: Insert /embed with VNLOK's or the Kansspelautoriteit's official statement tweet on the Meta lawsuit here.]

Who the Ads Target

VNLOK says the ads cause direct harm to Dutch consumers, particularly younger players and those at risk of problem gambling. Unlicensed providers are not bound by responsible gambling requirements and can target vulnerable groups without restriction.

VNLOK president Björn Fuchs said illegal gambling operators undermine the regulated market while exposing players to harm without the safeguards licensed operators must provide.

The lawsuit follows a period of rising black market activity and declining channelisation rates in the Netherlands, alongside an increase in gambling-related harm among younger demographics. Earlier this year, VNLOK asked the government to review a tax increase it says weakened the competitive position of licensed operators. Growing black market pressure is not unique to the Netherlands. Unlicensed operators are also moving quickly into Finland's iGaming market ahead of its 2027 launch, and regulators there face a similar enforcement gap.

Referred to the European Commission

VNLOK has also raised the matter with the European Commission, pursuing the issue at both national and EU level. The case places Meta at the center of a broader European push to hold platforms accountable for third-party content and targeting tools.

The question of who bears responsibility for flagging at-risk behavior runs through other recent enforcement actions. UK regulators recently fined Petfre £900,000 for failing to catch at-risk gamblers using its own monitoring systems, and the same demand for proactive detection over reactive cleanup runs through ongoing debates about AI and responsible gambling compliance.