(AsiaGameHub) –   The Dutch Gambling Authority (KSA) has escalated its efforts against unlicensed online gambling advertisements, submitting more than 4,600 reports to Meta in April alone regarding illicit promotions found on Facebook and Instagram.

In a recent update on Thursday, the KSA reaffirmed that combating illegal online gambling remains a top priority for the regulator. Central to its enforcement strategy is addressing the promotional activities of offshore or unlicensed gambling operators.

According to the regulator, these entities frequently used the names and logos of well-known Dutch athletes and established brands to falsely enhance their credibility.

Such practices are said to make it difficult for consumers to determine whether an online gambling site holds the necessary Dutch licence and, therefore, implements adequate player protection measures.

“Advertising on social media reaches large numbers of people,” the KSA warned. It stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to ensure that illegal advertisements are promptly removed.

The recent increase in reports to Meta forms part of an ongoing collaborative initiative led by the KSA, involving public authorities, platform representatives, and private sector companies.

As outlined in the KSA’s 2025 report, last year the regulator worked alongside partners to report Google advertisements “en masse,” resulting in a decrease in search results from illegal sponsors.

The report also estimated that approximately 50,000 illegal gambling advertisements were identified each month via social media last year.

The underage question

Underage gambling targeting has also been a significant concern for the regulator recently. The Dutch government introduced a ban on ‘untargeted’ gambling advertisements in mid-2023. Marketing to players under 24 is prohibited in the Netherlands.

A study released this week, which focused exclusively on 277 advertisements sourced from Meta’s Ad Library data and licensed Dutch operators, found that 31 of the 277 adverts (11.2%) targeted age groups including those aged 18 to 23.

Online gambling licence holders demonstrated a high compliance rate of 92.7% (with only 7.3% non-compliant), whereas advertisements linked to offline licence holders showed lower compliance, with nearly 30% (14 out of 47 adverts) breaching age restrictions.

In January of this year, the Netherlands’ coalition government suggested implementing a complete ban on gambling advertisements in the market.

The coalition agreement at the time stated: “We are strengthening the duty of care of online gambling providers, cracking down on illegal gambling sites and introducing a complete advertising ban on online gambling. We are exploring limiting the number of licences for online gambling sites.”

At the time, the gambling trade body VNLOK cautioned that a total advertising ban could push activity into the black market. Björn Fuchs, chairman of VNLOK, argued that a full ban on advertising would undermine the Netherlands’ current gambling policy.