5BTC or 111% + 111 Free Spins!
New players only. Exclusive 111% Welcome Bonus + 111 Free Spins
New research from XY Legal Solutions B.V. and VNLOK says illegal online gambling ads reached Dutch users at large scale on Facebook and Instagram in March 2026. The study used Meta Ad Library data and focused on Dutch-language gambling search terms.
Good to Know
The study looked at ads tied to terms such as “gokkast,” “gratis spins,” “welkomstbonus,” and “Holland Casino.” Researchers classified ads as illegal when they promoted operators without a Kansspelautoriteit license.
The reported reach figure came in at 37.9 million Dutch users across the March sample. With an assumed average of two views per user, the authors estimated 75.8 million impressions for the month.
Dutch gambling advertising rules ban licensed operators from targeting users under 24, yet illegal operators appeared to aim at that exact age group. The report said 65.4% of the illegal ads targeted users below 24.
March figures included 5.8 million impressions among people aged 18 to 24. Annualized, that would equal about 71 million impressions in the age group. A separate study published earlier in May also found Dutch gambling ads on social media had reached users under 24, including ads from both online and offline licensees.
The KSA had already flagged the scale of the problem. In April, the regulator filed more than 4,600 reports with Meta about illegal gambling promotions on Facebook and Instagram. KSA 2025 reporting also estimated that wider social media channels carried around 50,000 illegal gambling ads each month last year.
Meta did remove some content during the research period. Around 38.3% of the identified ads were disabled or taken down. However, the report said new ads appeared faster than old ones disappeared.
Operators used short ad runs to stay ahead of enforcement. The median campaign lasted three days, while 93% ran for less than 14 days. Some ads sent users through app-store links before redirecting them to unlicensed gambling sites. Others copied well-known Dutch brands or used fake testimonial accounts.
The authors also estimated possible revenue for Meta from the ads. Using public CPM benchmarks for the Netherlands, the study put March revenue at €606,551 under an €8 CPM, €834,008 under an €11 CPM, and €1.14 million under a €15 CPM. Over a full year, that would equal roughly €7.3 million to €13.6 million, though the report called the figures indicative because Meta does not publish internal revenue data for the category.
For Dutch licensed gambling operators, the research points to an uneven market. Legal brands face strict rules on untargeted ads and younger audiences, while unlicensed operators continue to buy reach through social media channels.