VNLOK summons Meta to court in latest action against illegal gambling ads in Netherlands

On Monday, Dutch gambling trade association VNLOK officially summoned Meta to court after alleging the tech giant had allowed widespread illegal gambling advertisements to reach consumers in the Netherlands.

The Hague-based VNLOK, representing the country’s licensed online gambling operators, has filed the lawsuit following months of warnings and investigations into Meta.

The association has claimed that more than 90% of gambling advertisements on Facebook originate from operators that are not licensed in the Netherlands.

After flagging the issue, VNLOK has said Meta only removed 11% of flagged illegal ads in May and 15% in June.

VNLOK first initiated legal proceedings against Meta in June of this year. The association claimed the social media giant had failed to prevent the widespread display of illegal online gambling advertisements targeting Dutch users on Facebook and Instagram. They also lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission. 

“We have repeatedly pointed out the scale of the problem to Meta and asked them to cooperate structurally in finding a solution. That has yielded insufficient results. Therefore, we are now submitting the case to the Dutch courts,” Fuchs said of the ongoing challenge.

Breaching of obligations

VNLOK said in its latest statement on Monday that this latest move was “the final step” in its legal proceedings.

It is looking for a court to rule against Meta meeting its obligations under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).

This is an EU-issued mandate requiring major online platforms to proactively address illegal content. Tech platforms must have structural safeguards preventing illegal gambling advertisements aimed at Dutch users in place, as part of the requirement.

VNLOK reported that in the final quarter of 2025 alone, Meta-owned platforms had displayed more than 70,000 gambling-related adverts. The association estimated that unlicensed operators were responsible for over 95% of these.

Despite the scale of the problem, VNLOK found that Meta removed less than 5% of these advertisements. 

Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) confirmed in its 2025 report that it had filed thousands of complaints concerning illegal gambling adverts with Meta on a monthly basis in 2025.  

Parliamentary motion seeks to empower KSA

In addition to the ongoing lawsuit, parliamentary discussions are in motion in the Netherlands to grant the KSA explicit powers to fine digital platforms which fail to act after repeated notices of illegal gambling advertising. 

The motion is up for a vote in the House of Representatives tomorrow. Introduced by MP Bart Bikkers and colleagues from the VVD party, it will aim to provide a clear legal basis for imposing sanctions or enforcement orders on platforms that keep illegal adverts visible despite multiple warnings.

While VNLOK expressed support for the parliamentary initiative, it has urges the KSA to act swiftly without awaiting legislative changes. 

“The regulator must hold parties that play a role in reaching Dutch consumers with illegal offerings more emphatically accountable for their responsibility. No legislative amendment is needed for this; the regulator already has those legal options,” VNLOK chairman Fuchs said in the body’s monday update.

“Meta is currently the party we are taking legal action against, but the problem is broader,” says Fuchs. “If an illegal provider is removed via one platform, the same provider pops up again via another channel. Then we are constantly playing catch-up. All parties in this chain must take responsibility.” 

Wider government action to work with big tech

In a House of Representatives gambling committee debate earlier this month, open communication with Meta and similar big tech players was set out as essential for protecting players from the expanding black market.

Members flagged the growing issue of illegal gambling sites’ advertising appearing across social media, an issue the sector in Netherlands has sought to tackle directly through legal action against Meta.

Speaking during the session, Minister Claudia Van Bruggen said Meta had been open to maintaining dialogue with the government to work together on stamping out the black market.

 “Meta, especially as one of the parties, but also Google, is really open to this conversation,” she said during the session.

She said the government would receive a report every six months on illegal gambling advertising across these platforms. She insisted the issue should also be dealt with at an EU level, through the Digital Services Act.