Netherlands Steps Up Pressure on Google and Meta Over Illegal Gambling Advertising

The Netherlands is stepping up efforts to combat illegal online gambling advertising, with the government committing to closer cooperation with major technology platforms including Google and Meta as lawmakers demand faster and tougher action against unlicensed operators targeting Dutch consumers.

The issue was central to a recent parliamentary debate on the Dutch gambling market, where members of the House of Representatives broadly agreed that the illegal gambling sector remains a serious threat to the effectiveness of the country's regulated market. The government has indicated that it will maintain direct dialogue with major technology companies and receive regular information on the scale of illegal gambling advertising appearing on their platforms.

The renewed focus comes as Dutch authorities attempt to close a growing gap between the country's regulated gambling framework and the availability of unlicensed websites to Dutch consumers. Although the Netherlands introduced a licensing system for online gambling in 2021, illegal operators continue to find ways to reach consumers through search engines, social media, affiliates and other digital channels.

The Dutch Gambling Authority, known as the Kansspelautoriteit, has made tackling illegal online gambling one of its enforcement priorities. The regulator has previously highlighted the sheer scale of the problem, noting that thousands of illegal operators worldwide can potentially target Dutch consumers and that new websites frequently emerge after existing operators are blocked or sanctioned.

Advertising has become one of the most important battlegrounds because it provides illegal operators with a relatively inexpensive way of reaching large numbers of potential customers. Search advertising and social media can allow an operator to target consumers directly, while misleading branding can make an unlicensed website appear legitimate.

The problem is particularly acute where illegal operators use the names, images or branding of well-known athletes, businesses or licensed gambling companies. Such tactics can make it difficult for consumers to distinguish between a legitimate Dutch-licensed operator and an offshore website that does not provide the same regulatory protections.

The Dutch government has therefore increasingly looked beyond the gambling companies themselves and towards the technology infrastructure that enables their marketing.

Google and Meta occupy particularly important positions in this ecosystem. Search engines determine which gambling websites consumers can discover, while social media platforms provide operators with access to enormous audiences through advertising, influencers, sponsored content and user-generated material.

During the parliamentary debate, government representatives indicated that both Google and Meta were open to continued discussions about the problem. The government is also expected to receive reports every six months concerning illegal gambling advertising appearing on the platforms.

The approach represents an important development in gambling enforcement because regulators increasingly recognise that removing an illegal website alone may not be enough. If the operator can continue acquiring customers through search results and social media, enforcement against the underlying website may have limited long-term impact.

The Dutch authorities are therefore moving towards a more comprehensive model involving regulators, government departments, technology companies and, potentially, European institutions.

The European dimension is particularly important because digital platforms operate across borders. A website targeting Dutch consumers may be hosted outside the Netherlands, operated through a foreign corporate structure and promoted through an international advertising network.

This makes purely national enforcement difficult. Even where the Dutch regulator identifies an illegal operator, it may have limited ability to directly control the infrastructure through which the operator reaches consumers.

The government has consequently argued that the issue should also be addressed at EU level, including through the Digital Services Act.

The Digital Services Act provides a broader regulatory framework for online platforms and imposes obligations concerning illegal content, platform transparency and risk management. Its application to illegal gambling advertising could provide national authorities with additional mechanisms for engaging with large technology platforms.

For the gambling industry, however, the debate is not limited to illegal operators. Licensed businesses are also facing an increasingly restrictive advertising environment.

The Dutch government announced in June that it intends to introduce a broad prohibition on online gambling advertising. The proposed measures would also prohibit bonuses and introduce additional restrictions intended to reduce exposure to gambling, particularly among younger and vulnerable consumers.

The government's rationale is that existing advertising restrictions have not gone far enough. Previous measures included a ban on the use of role models in gambling advertising and restrictions on untargeted advertising for online gambling, but authorities continue to express concern about the visibility of gambling promotions.

The combination of tighter restrictions on licensed operators and continuing exposure to illegal advertising creates a difficult regulatory challenge.

If licensed businesses face increasingly stringent restrictions while offshore operators continue advertising through channels that are difficult to control, the regulated market could potentially become less visible relative to the illegal market.

This concern was raised during the parliamentary debate, with lawmakers calling for stronger action against technology companies whose platforms continue to carry illegal gambling advertising.

The issue also has an important consumer-protection dimension. A Dutch gambling licence provides consumers with protections relating to responsible gambling, identity verification, player funds and other regulatory requirements. An operator without a Dutch licence does not operate under the same domestic framework.

Consumers who are directed towards unlicensed websites may therefore be exposed to substantially greater risks, including unclear ownership, inadequate responsible gambling controls, weaker customer protection and potential difficulties recovering funds.

Illegal gambling can also create significant AML concerns.

Licensed gambling operators in the Netherlands operate within a regulated framework that requires controls designed to identify and mitigate money laundering and terrorist financing risks. Illegal operators, by definition, fall outside that regulatory environment.

This creates an additional reason for authorities to restrict access to unlicensed gambling services. The issue is not simply whether an operator has paid the appropriate licence fee or complied with advertising restrictions. Illegal platforms can potentially provide channels through which criminal proceeds are deposited, wagered, transferred and withdrawn.

The financial flows associated with online gambling can be complex. Customers may deposit money through payment providers, electronic wallets, bank transfers or other channels, while operators may use multiple corporate entities and payment processors across different jurisdictions.

Where the underlying operator has not undergone regulatory scrutiny, financial institutions may have considerably less information about the source and destination of funds.

The Netherlands' approach therefore increasingly connects gambling enforcement with broader financial crime prevention.

For banks and payment service providers, the continuing presence of illegal gambling websites creates a transaction-monitoring challenge. Payment institutions may need to identify and restrict transactions involving known illegal operators while distinguishing those transactions from legitimate gambling activity.

This requires accurate information sharing between regulators, payment providers and financial institutions.

The Dutch Gambling Authority has previously emphasised that the scale of illegal online gambling is too large to be addressed by the regulator alone. Tens of thousands of illegal operators exist globally, while the Dutch market can be targeted by a constantly changing selection of websites.

This creates a practical problem for enforcement. Blocking one domain may simply result in another domain being established. An operator may change its website address, corporate name, payment providers or marketing channels while continuing to target the same consumers.

The use of search engines and social media can make this particularly difficult because advertising campaigns can be created and modified rapidly.

This is why cooperation with technology companies is becoming increasingly important.

For Google, the challenge includes identifying advertisements and search results connected to unlicensed gambling businesses while preventing illegal operators from circumventing advertising controls through misleading domains, alternative keywords or intermediary marketing companies.

For Meta, the challenge extends across Facebook, Instagram and other services where illegal operators can use advertisements, influencers, groups and other forms of promotional content.

The Dutch gambling sector has already taken direct action against Meta over the presence of illegal gambling advertising on its platforms. The continuing dispute illustrates the increasing willingness of industry participants to seek legal and regulatory remedies against technology companies when they believe illegal operators are being allowed to access Dutch consumers.

The scale of advertising activity is significant. Previous monitoring by the Dutch regulator identified tens of thousands of illegal gambling advertisements appearing on social media each month, while a major reporting exercise in 2026 involved thousands of complaints concerning illegal advertisements on Meta's platforms.

The volume makes manual enforcement increasingly impractical.

Technology-assisted detection is consequently likely to become a more important component of the Dutch enforcement strategy. Platforms can use automated systems to identify prohibited gambling advertisements, monitor repeated violations and detect connections between apparently unrelated advertising accounts.

However, automated detection creates its own challenges. Illegal operators can deliberately disguise their identities, use legitimate-looking branding or establish multiple advertising accounts. False positives can also create problems for legitimate businesses.

This makes communication between regulators and platforms essential.

Regular reporting could provide authorities with information about the number and type of illegal advertisements being identified, the operators responsible, how quickly content is removed and whether previously sanctioned businesses continue to reappear under different identities.

For regulators, this information could also help identify recurring networks rather than isolated advertisements.

The compliance implications extend to affiliates and marketing partners. Illegal operators often rely on third parties to generate traffic, meaning that enforcement may need to consider not only the gambling website but also the businesses, websites and individuals responsible for promoting it.

Affiliate marketing can create complex chains of responsibility. A gambling operator may argue that a third-party affiliate acted independently, while regulators may view the affiliate's activity as part of the operator's customer-acquisition strategy.

Licensed operators should therefore maintain strong controls over their marketing partners and ensure that affiliates understand and comply with Dutch advertising requirements.

The risk is particularly high where affiliates operate internationally and promote multiple gambling brands across different jurisdictions.

For operators holding a Dutch licence, the changing regulatory environment means that advertising compliance should be treated as a continuing operational responsibility rather than a one-time licensing issue.

Marketing teams, affiliates and external agencies should be subject to appropriate oversight, while businesses should have mechanisms to identify and remove non-compliant campaigns quickly.

The same principle applies to social media activity. A licensed operator may be compliant with Dutch rules in its own advertising campaigns while an affiliate or influencer promotes the brand in a way that creates regulatory exposure.

The government's wider proposal to prohibit online gambling advertising could ultimately change the market even further. If implemented, licensed operators would have to rely more heavily on direct customer relationships, brand recognition, organic search, product quality and other channels that remain permissible under the final framework.

At the same time, regulators will need to ensure that restrictions do not unintentionally create greater visibility for illegal operators.

This is one of the central policy challenges facing the Netherlands. The regulated market can be strengthened by reducing exposure to gambling, but enforcement must also ensure that consumers are not simply redirected towards offshore providers.

The issue is particularly relevant to younger adults. Authorities have repeatedly expressed concern about gambling exposure among young people and the accessibility of online gambling advertising. The government's proposed restrictions are partly designed to address this concern.

A more aggressive approach to illegal advertising may therefore become a key element of the Netherlands' broader responsible gambling strategy.

For the technology sector, meanwhile, the Dutch developments demonstrate that gambling content is becoming another area in which platforms may face increased expectations concerning illegal commercial activity.

The debate is unlikely to remain limited to the Netherlands. Other European jurisdictions face similar challenges involving offshore gambling operators, social media advertising and cross-border digital marketing.

The Dutch approach could therefore become a model for broader cooperation between gambling regulators and technology companies.

For compliance professionals, the most important development is the move towards a multi-layered enforcement model. Regulators are no longer relying exclusively on fines and blocking orders against illegal gambling operators. They are increasingly seeking to disrupt the entire ecosystem supporting those businesses, including advertising networks, payment providers, affiliates and digital platforms.

This approach is potentially more effective because an illegal gambling operator depends on access to customers and financial infrastructure. Removing those supporting channels can make it substantially harder for the operator to maintain a viable business.

The strategy also reinforces the importance of information sharing. Regulators need access to accurate and timely data about illegal operators, advertising campaigns, payment flows and corporate structures. Technology companies and financial institutions, meanwhile, need sufficient information to identify the businesses and individuals presenting the greatest risk.

The Dutch government's commitment to continuing discussions with Google and Meta is therefore likely to be only one part of a much broader enforcement strategy.

As the Netherlands moves towards tighter gambling advertising rules and stronger action against the black market, operators, affiliates, payment companies and technology platforms will all face greater scrutiny.

The central issue will be whether the country can successfully reduce the visibility and accessibility of illegal gambling without creating an unintended advantage for offshore operators.

For licensed gambling businesses, the message is increasingly clear: compliance will extend beyond the gambling product itself and into every part of the customer-acquisition and payment ecosystem.

For illegal operators, meanwhile, the Dutch authorities are signalling that enforcement will increasingly target not only the websites offering the gambling products but also the digital infrastructure that allows those businesses to reach Dutch consumers.

The outcome could have implications well beyond the Netherlands. If cooperation between regulators and technology platforms proves effective, other European gambling markets may adopt similar approaches to tackling the increasingly sophisticated digital advertising strategies used by unlicensed operators.

By fLEXI tEAM