Dutch regulator pursues cooperation with Google and Meta over illegal gambling ads

The Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) is working with Google and Meta to limit advertising by unlicensed gambling operators, including through a proposed whitelist of authorised operators across the European Union. Ksa president Michel Groothuizen set out the approach in remarks published on 14 October 2026, saying the regulator may take legal action if voluntary measures do not produce sufficient results.

According to Groothuizen, about 90% of Dutch online players use only licensed platforms, but the illegal market still accounts for a considerable share of total stakes: for every euro played with licensed operators, another euro goes to unauthorised operators. He said administrative fines send an important regulatory signal but produce limited results in terms of actual collection, and that over the past 18 months the Ksa has developed a parallel strategy to make illegal platforms less visible and to obstruct payment flows to them.

The issue was raised in a parliamentary debate in September, when VVD member Bart Bikkers called for stronger action against large technology companies and said the Ksa should impose sanctions on Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) that contribute to the visibility of illegal offerings. Gambling lawyer Justin Franssen also urged the Dutch authority to take a tougher stance towards Big Tech companies, in remarks made from Lisbon.

Groothuizen said action against multinationals with large financial resources would mean complex legal disputes that could run for five years before a final decision, and that a lost case could weaken the authority more than a case not brought. Sanctions, he said, should be a means to a concrete result rather than an end in themselves. He said the problem concerns the business model of large platforms, which earn substantial revenue from advertising by illegal gambling operators, describing an advertising industry worth billions of euros.

The Ksa believes it can gather sufficient evidence to show that large platforms facilitate prohibited activity in the Netherlands and other European states. Groothuizen said thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of advertisements for illegal operators circulate on social networks, including campaigns aimed explicitly at vulnerable people such as those on national self-exclusion registers, and advertisements reaching people under 18. He said both Dutch national law and the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) offer legal tools against these practices, but that under the European rules the European Commission decides whether to open sanction proceedings, while national authorities can supply information and evidence.

In spring 2026 the Ksa met Google and Meta in Dublin, where their European headquarters are located, together with some European regulatory authorities, to identify operational solutions to limit illegal advertising and encourage voluntary action by the platforms. Groothuizen said both sides were aware of the alternative of possible litigation, and that dialogue developed alongside the collection of material for possible proceedings. The meetings led to a joint task force that is working, among other initiatives, on a whitelist of gambling operators authorised in the European Union, developed with Google; the project involves identifying all legal operators active in regulated European markets so that platforms could use the list to exclude unauthorised operators from advertising.

Groothuizen said large technology companies cannot be considered permanent allies of regulators, as their economic interests often conflict with consumer protection and the fight against illegal activity, and that voluntary cooperation does not rule out sanctions. If the platforms show insufficient commitment or the agreed measures do not produce adequate results, the Dutch authority would keep open the possibility of legal action. He said the approach is not limited to gambling, noting that other Western governments and the European Commission are dealing with similar issues in relations with large platforms, from illegal medicines to e-cigarettes and irregular commercial practices in online trade.