EU Study Flags Meta Ad Checks as VNLOK Tightens Pressure
A study commissioned by the European Commission has found gaps in the way big ad platforms check who their advertisers are. VNLOK, the Dutch online gambling trade body, is now using those findings to sharpen its legal case against Meta. Open Evidence and Spark Legal carried out the research. It looked at six sectors where criminals run fraud through paid marketing. Online gambling is one of them, along with investments, romance and personal health.
On gambling, the finding is specific. Ad systems on very large platforms have let operators push gambling services into markets where they hold no local licence. Fake apps sitting on legitimate app stores are another route the report flags. Verification, in short, isn't catching the advertisers it should.
Björn Fuchs, VNLOK's chairman, tied the study straight to his organisation's court action against Meta and to the company's duties under the Digital Services Act. "This study clearly shows how enormous the fraud and scam challenges are on very large online platforms and search engines," he said. Platforms combine reach, AI and audiences into a mix that gets systematically misused, he added. That mix needs more verification and filtering.
Timing matters here. VNLOK summoned Meta to court earlier this year. The trade body now wants EU law changed so that gambling advertisers' licences can be checked in advance, with stronger detection of covert illegal gambling campaigns built in. That's a legislative ask, not just a complaint.
The Netherlands has produced the hardest numbers in this argument. In April 2026 alone, regulator Kansspelautoriteit estimated that more than 4,600 illegal gambling ads were seen on Meta. Facebook and Instagram ads promoting unlicensed casinos have drawn criticism from several markets. Meta has faced repeated accusations that its restrictions are too loose.
Google moved first on certification. It recently updated its rules for all gambling and games advertisers. To be certified in a given jurisdiction, they must now show good policy health and a strong compliance record. Meta hasn't matched that publicly.
Still, there are signs of movement from Meta. In its most recent effort to understand the illegal gambling market and work with licensed operators against it, the company partnered with Paf, Åland's state-owned operator. In Latin America, Buenos Aires city regulator LOTBA has said it wants closer cooperation with Meta and Google on blocking illegal adverts.
For licensed operators, the practical question is what changes first: platform-level licence verification, or the DSA obligations VNLOK is testing in court. April's 4,600 figure gives the Dutch regulator its benchmark. How far that number falls is the measure that will matter.