VNLOK presses ahead with Dutch court case against Meta over illegal gambling ads

Dutch gambling trade body VNLOK is moving forward with legal action against Meta, alleging the company has failed to protect Dutch audiences from illegal gambling advertising. Chairman Björn Fuchs outlined the case at the Gaming in Spain Conference in Madrid, saying the association has clear evidence of systemic failures on Meta's platforms.

Central to the case is research commissioned from Game Changer. Fuchs said 79% of the advertisements identified in the study came from unlicensed operators. The researchers focused on ten main keywords because the Meta ad database is so large, so Fuchs described the figures as only the tip of the iceberg. VNLOK stresses that the 79% figure applies to the ads in the research sample. Fuchs added that the illegal ads were not being removed.

Fuchs argued that the current complaint-based approach does not work. Such ads, he said, are typically live for only a day or a day and a half, so taking them down after a complaint comes too late. He said repeated complaints had produced no meaningful change, and called the system flawed.

VNLOK formally served Meta with a summons in September, shifting from complaints to court proceedings. The association expects a first hearing in late December, with substantive proceedings anticipated in the first quarter of 2027. Fuchs cautioned that the case could become a prolonged fight against a company with substantial legal resources, saying it remained to be seen which legal tactics Meta would use.

Asked about the association's motives, Fuchs acknowledged that licensed operators are losing revenue to illegal competitors. He framed the case as a wider push for accountability over the promotion of unlicensed gambling and its effect on consumer protection. He also said licensed businesses face growing political scrutiny over the performance of the regulated market, noting that gambling has no friends in politics.

Although the lawsuit rests purely on Dutch law, VNLOK believes the implications reach across Europe. Fuchs said the association is in contact with European counterparts and government bodies, and expects developments in countries such as Germany and France to help drive stronger measures. He said the responsibility to protect audiences has no national borders, and urged other countries to take up the fight rather than wait for Meta to act.