UK and Dutch Regulators Accuse Meta of Ignoring Illegal Casino Ads

Meta Platforms Inc. has come under heavy fire from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Dutch trade body VNLOK. The company is accused of “deliberate inaction” regarding the widespread promotion of unlicensed gambling on Facebook and Instagram.

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UK Position (ICE Barcelona 2026)

During the ICE Barcelona 2026 conference (January 2026), Tim Miller, Executive Director of the UKGC, stated that Meta is essentially profiting from “criminals and scammers.” He argued that the company cannot claim ignorance when the data is readily available in their own Ad Library.

“If we can find these ads, so can Meta. They simply choose not to look,” Miller emphasized, describing the Ad Library as a “window into criminality.”

Miller specifically pointed out that many ads target vulnerable users with keywords like “not on GamStop”—a direct attempt to bypass the UK’s national self-exclusion scheme.

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Shocking Statistics from the Netherlands

The Dutch association VNLOK published a monitoring report for late 2025, revealing the catastrophic scale of the issue in the region:

• 95% of all iGaming content on Facebook in the Netherlands leads to illegal sites.
• 50 million impressions were generated by illegal ads in November alone.
• Low Response Rate: Analysis showed that Meta removed only 3% to 5.2% of identified violations per month between October and December 2025.

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New Methods of Circumvention

VNLOK Chairman Björn Fuchs noted that illegal operators have shifted from standard banners to viral video content. Casino logos are integrated into clips that aren’t formally flagged as advertisements, allowing them to reach audiences—including minors—unimpeded.

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Meta’s Response

The corporation insists it maintains “strict compliance with regulations” and encourages regulators to continue flagging violations. Meta spokespeople stated they are “working closely with the Commission” to improve their proactive detection tools but suggested that regulators should also deploy their own AI tools to monitor and report ads.

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Sources: Official website of the UK Gambling Commission (GC), VNLOK Official Press Release, iGaming Business.