Thousands of Facebook and Instagram illegal gambling ads reported to Meta

Social media giant Meta continues to find itself in the firing line of gambling regulators, a growing number of which are becoming increasingly frustrated with unlicensed advertising on the platform.

The company behind Facebook and Instagram is being monitored by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling regulator. The KSA announced its investigation just one day after a Dutch media outlet reported that operators are only advertising via the platform.

The KSA has revealed that it filed over 4,600 reports around illegal advertising with Meta in April. The regulator stated that it is paying ‘special attention’ to certain unnamed gambling companies ‘which frequently advertise on social media such as Facebook and Instagram’.

“Illegal gambling providers place many advertisements on social media,” the KSA’s statement read. “In doing so, they use names and logos of well-known Dutch athletes and major brands to enhance their credibility. 

“It is often difficult for consumers to determine whether a gambling provider holds a license. To protect consumers, the KSA is therefore making a strong effort to combat online advertising by illegal providers. 

“The KSA does this, among other measures, by filing reports with major media companies more frequently.”

Dutch gambling ads drama

Licensed Dutch gambling firms have been banned from advertising on social media since 1 July 2024. This formed part of a wider ban on ‘untargeted’ advertising, including ads on the TV and radio, in newspapers, and in public spaces.

Companies are also banned from using ‘role models’ like athletes and social media influencers in advertising. From 1 July 2025, sports sponsorships were also completely banned – the same day as in neighbouring Belgium.

Regulated companies may be feeling vindicated by the Netherlands’ recent statement, as the industry has been rallying against what it believes is over-regulation by arguing that curbing advertising for legal firms ends up inadvertently assisting the black market.

Dutch betting firms have been making the same argument around taxation, with gambling taxes rising to 37.8% of gross gambling revenue (GGR) on 1 January 2026.

The rising taxes over the past two years led to some firms like LiveScore Group deciding to call it quits in the Netherlands, while the KSA itself has noted that black market revenue has risen considerably between 2024-2025.

KSA keeps up the pressure

The KSA has stressed that it is undertaking a range of measures to combat illegal gambling proliferation on social media, including working closely with ‘various companies and organisations’.

The regulator shared that it held a ‘recent meeting of the alliance’ to discuss knowledge, trends and insights, with social media advertising being a key topic. This working group subsequently held a brainstorming session, which the KSA aims to use the outcomes of to inform its policies.

“In the Netherlands, online gambling is only permitted with licensed providers,” the KSA’s statement concluded.

“The KSA’s approach to illegal offerings ranges from imposing fines to disrupting the infrastructure used by illegal providers. The online world, and social media in particular, plays a major role within this infrastructure.”

The KSA is not the only national gambling regulator paying close attention to social media advertising. Great Britain’s Gambling Commission, for example, has become increasingly frustrated with the amount of unlicensed advertising on Meta platforms.

“If we can find them, then so can Meta: they simply choose not to look,” said Tim Miller, the Commission’s Executive Director of Research and Policy, at the ICE gambling industry trade show earlier this year.

“It could leave you with the impression that they are quite happy to turn a blind eye and continue taking money from criminals and scammers until someone shouts about it. So it does leave Meta with the question of ‘Whose side are you on?’”