VNLOK Meta court case targets unlicensed gambling ads
The VNLOK Meta court case began on Monday, September 28, when the Dutch gambling trade association summoned Meta to an Amsterdam court over gambling advertisements from operators without a Netherlands license. VNLOK alleges that Meta has failed to meet its obligations under the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) for ads on Facebook and Instagram, and is asking the court to rule on that. The court has not yet decided the matter.
VNLOK, based in The Hague, represents licensed online gambling operators in the Dutch market. It describes the filing as the final stage of its legal action, which it first announced in June alongside a complaint to the European Commission.
What VNLOK says it found
According to VNLOK, 96.5% of the selected gambling ads it examined in May came from operators without a Dutch license. The share was 93.7% in June. VNLOK says Meta removed 11% of the identified ads in May and 15% in June. The figures cover the ads VNLOK examined, not all gambling advertising on Meta’s platforms.
For the final quarter of 2025, VNLOK counted 61,717 gambling ads in October, 84,493 in November and 67,732 in December. It says more than 95% in every month promoted unlicensed operators, and that Meta removed between 3% and 5.2%.
The House of Representatives adopted a motion on platform penalties on Tuesday.
VNLOK argues that removing ads after publication cannot keep pace, because many disappear and return under different identities. It says 76% of unlicensed gambling ads stayed online for less than one day in May. In June, the figure was 65%.
“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,” VNLOK chairman Björn Fuchs said.
The DSA and the parliamentary motion
The DSA sets obligations for online platforms, including systems for reporting unlicensed content and measures to address risks linked to content distributed through their services. Dutch government responses have confirmed that the DSA applies to reporting systems for unlicensed gambling content. Whether Meta has met those obligations is the question VNLOK has put to the court.
The House of Representatives adopted a motion on Tuesday. Filed on September 23 by VVD MP Bart Bikkers and other lawmakers, it calls on the government to amend the Gambling Act so platforms can face a fine or penalty payment when they repeatedly display illegal gambling advertising after a removal request from Kansspelautoriteit (KSA). The motion states that KSA sends thousands of removal requests to Meta each month, but that current law has no specific rule on repeated publication after those notices.
VNLOK says the regulator does not need new legislation. Government answers earlier in 2026 said KSA can take enforcement action when social media platforms violate the Gambling Act, including issuing binding instructions to remove certain content.
“No legislative amendment is needed for this; the regulator already has those legal options,” Fuchs said.
Fuchs also said the dispute extends beyond Meta. “If an illegal provider is removed via one platform, the same provider pops up again via another channel.” He added that all parties in the chain must take responsibility.
A separate motion seeking a total ban on gambling advertising was rejected on the same day.
