Dutch gambling trade association VNLOK has officially summoned Meta to court, alleging the tech giant has allowed widespread illegal gambling advertisements to reach consumers in the Netherlands. The Hague-based association, which represents the country’s licensed online gambling operators, filed the lawsuit on Monday following months of warnings and investigations into Meta’s handling of unlicensed gambling promotions.
VNLOK claims that more than 90% of gambling advertisements on Facebook originate from operators that are not licensed in the Netherlands. After flagging the issue, the association says 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 and also lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission.
Digital Services Act Breach Alleged
VNLOK said in its latest statement that this move represents “the final step” in its legal proceedings. The association is seeking a court ruling that Meta has failed to meet its obligations under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires major online platforms to proactively address illegal content and maintain structural safeguards preventing illegal gambling advertisements aimed at Dutch users.
The scale of the problem is significant. VNLOK reported that in the final quarter of 2025 alone, Meta-owned platforms displayed more than 70,000 gambling-related adverts, with unlicensed operators responsible for over 95% of these. Despite the volume, Meta removed less than 5% of these advertisements, according to VNLOK’s findings.
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 throughout 2025.
Parliamentary Motion Seeks Enforcement Powers
In parallel with the lawsuit, parliamentary discussions are underway in the Netherlands to grant the KSA explicit powers to fine digital platforms that fail to act after repeated notices of illegal gambling advertising. A motion introduced by MP Bart Bikkers and colleagues from the VVD party is scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives tomorrow.
The motion aims 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 urged 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 Monday’s update.
Industry-Wide Challenge Beyond Meta
Fuchs emphasized that the problem extends beyond Meta alone. “Meta is currently the party we are taking legal action against, but the problem is broader,” he said. “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.”
In a House of Representatives gambling committee debate earlier this month, Minister Claudia Van Bruggen said Meta had been open to maintaining dialogue with the government to address the black market. She indicated the government would receive a report every six months on illegal gambling advertising across these platforms and insisted the issue should be dealt with at an EU level through the Digital Services Act.
