Illegal Gambling Ads on Meta Reached 37.9 Million Dutch Users

(AsiaGameHub) –   According to a new study by XY Legal Solutions B.V. and VNLOK, a significant volume of illicit online gambling advertisements were seen by Dutch users on Facebook and Instagram in March 2026. The analysis utilized data from the Meta Ad Library and concentrated on gambling-related search terms in the Dutch language.

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Good to Know

• In March 2026, researchers detected 15,114 unlawful gambling advertisements.
• These advertisements directed users to 1,292 distinct URLs and originated from 2,210 Facebook pages.
• Meta’s estimated advertising earnings for the month were between €606,551 and €1.14 million.

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The investigation examined ads associated with terms like “gokkast,” “gratis spins,” “welkomstbonus,” and “Holland Casino.” Advertisements were deemed illegal if they promoted operators lacking a license from the Kansspelautoriteit.

The reported audience reach for the March sample was 37.9 million Dutch users. Assuming an average of two views per user, the study’s authors calculated approximately 75.8 million impressions during the month.

Young Adults Became A Key Target

While Dutch advertising regulations prohibit licensed operators from targeting individuals under 24, unlicensed operators seemed to focus precisely on that demographic. The report indicates that 65.4% of the illegal ads targeted users below the age of 24.

Data from March showed 5.8 million impressions within the 18 to 24 age bracket. Projected over a year, this would amount to roughly 71 million impressions for that group. An independent study released earlier in May also concluded that Dutch gambling ads on social media, including those from licensed operators, had been viewed by users under 24.

The KSA had previously highlighted the extent of the issue. In April, the regulator submitted over 4,600 reports to Meta concerning illegal gambling promotions on its platforms. The KSA’s 2025 reporting further estimated that broader social media channels hosted about 50,000 illegal gambling ads monthly in the preceding year.

Meta did take action to remove some content during the research period, with about 38.3% of the identified ads being disabled or deleted. Nonetheless, the report noted that new advertisements were being created more rapidly than existing ones were being taken down.

To evade enforcement, operators employed brief advertising campaigns. The median campaign duration was three days, and 93% ran for fewer than 14 days. Some ads funneled users via app-store links before redirecting to unlicensed gambling websites. Others impersonated established Dutch brands or utilized fabricated testimonial accounts.

The study also projected potential revenue for Meta from these ads. Applying public CPM benchmarks for the Netherlands, the estimated March revenue was €606,551 at an €8 CPM, €834,008 at an €11 CPM, and €1.14 million at a €15 CPM. Annually, this would translate to between €7.3 million and €13.6 million, though the report described these figures as indicative since Meta does not disclose internal revenue data for this advertising category.

The research underscores an uneven playing field for licensed gambling operators in the Netherlands. Legal companies must adhere to stringent rules regarding broad advertising and younger viewers, while unlicensed operators persistently purchase audience reach on social media.