Illegal gambling ads on Meta reached 38 million Dutch users, says new research
A recent study analysing Meta’s advertising archive has uncovered a significant presence of illegal online gambling advertisements visible to Dutch users during March 2026.
The report, published on Wednesday, suggested these adverts may have generated millions of euros in ad revenue for Meta if similar activity had persisted over a full year.
The research, conducted by XY Legal Solutions B.V. in collaboration with the industry group VNLOK, examined publicly available data from Meta’s Ad Library for Facebook and Instagram.
The study focused on adverts between 1 and 31 March 2026, using eight Dutch-language search terms related to online gambling, such as “gokkast” (slot machine), “gratis spins” (free spins), “welkomstbonus” (welcome bonus), and “Holland Casino”.
From this sample, researchers identified 15,114 adverts they classified as illegal. Illegal ads are deemed as those linked to operators without a licence issued by the Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).
Key findings
The report estimated that the illegal adverts reached approximately 37.9 million unique Dutch users in March 2026. Assuming an average frequency of two ad impressions per user, this equates to roughly 75.8 million impressions over the month. These adverts directed users to 1,292 unique URLs and were published from 2,210 distinct Facebook pages.
These figures have followed into April, as the KSA filed over 4,600 reports with Meta concerning illicit gambling promotions found on Facebook and Instagram.
According to KSA’s 2025 report, it is estimated that 50,000 illegal gambling advertisements were found each month across wider social media channels last year.
Critically, the study estimated that 5.8 million impressions in March reached individuals aged 18 to 24, extrapolating to about 71 million impressions annually. Notably, 65.4% of the illegal adverts targeted users below 24 years of age. This is a demographic that licensed operators in the Netherlands are prohibited from targeting under a law introduced in July 2023.
The younger demographic
Earlier this month, the KSA conducted a survey on Meta gambling advertisement as a whole. The study identified that 31 of the controlled 277 adverts (11.2%) targeted age groups including those aged 18 to 23. Notably, one Holland Casino advert reportedly reached more than 21,000 Dutch users aged 18-24, with researchers estimating over 15% of its total Dutch reach likely being under 24.
In the more recent survey, approximately 38.3% of identified adverts were removed or disabled during the research period. This was an indication of Meta’s reactive enforcement efforts. However, the report noted that new illegal adverts appeared more quickly than existing ones were taken down.
The study revealed several tactics used to circumvent moderation. These included very short advertising campaigns (median duration of three days, with 93% lasting less than 14 days) and cloaking through app-store links that redirect users to unlicensed gambling sites. It also included impersonation of well-known Dutch brands and fake testimonial accounts.
Estimated advertising revenue
Because Meta does not disclose revenue by country or sector, the authors converted the volume of impressions into indicative revenue estimates. They used publicly available cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) benchmarks for Meta in the Netherlands. Three CPM scenarios were applied: €8 (conservative), €11 (realistic) and €15 (upper bound), each assuming two impressions per user reached.
For March 2026, the estimated ad revenue generated from illegal gambling adverts is:
- €606,551 at €8 CPM,
- €834,008 at €11 CPM,
- €1,137,283 at €15 CPM.
Annualised by simple multiplication, these figures translate to between approximately €7.3 million (US$8.4 million) and €13.6 million (US$15.7 million) in potential yearly revenue.
The authors emphasised these numbers as indicative. They are derived from public CPM benchmarks and Meta’s reach figures, rather than internal financial data.
The familiar conversation
Gambling advertising restrictions have always been a contentious conversation in the Netherlands. In 2023, the country implemented a ban on untargeted advertisements aimed at preventing their message from reaching young adults.
These rules apply to licensed operators, but the report underscores that illegal providers continue advertising to young users via social platforms.
The Netherlands remains steadfast in its crackdown on gambling advertisements with the KSA officially emphasising gambling advertisements rules to operators in the run-up to the World Cup. The regulator warned licence‑holders last week that any breaches of gambling laws would be met with swift enforcement actions.
Earlier this year, the Netherlands government began conversations around completely banning gambling advertisements. In an agreement published in January, the government compared gambling to sex work.
VNLOX, one of the sponsors of the survey, warned a total ad ban could drive activity to the black market. Björn Fuchs, chairman of VNLOK, said a total ban on advertising would undermine the Netherlands’ current gambling policy.
While the study focuses on March 2026 and a defined set of search terms, the authors indicated that expanding the search parameters or conducting longitudinal monitoring could uncover even greater volumes of illegal advertisements. They have offered the underlying dataset for verification upon request.
https://igamingbusiness.com/marketing-affiliates/illegal-gambling-ads-meta-reached-38-m-dutch-users/