The Netherlands’ KSA criticised TOTO Online over its use of role models in advertising, according to the report. The regulator said it was especially vigilant during the World Cup period, when interest in sports betting could increase.
The criticism signals regulatory scrutiny of TOTO Online’s sports-betting advertising during the World Cup.
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The Netherlands’ KSA said TOTO Online breached role-model advertising rules through a campaign promoted by eight professional football clubs on social media. The promotion offered a signed club shirt to people placing a €5 bet, and the regulator said using players’ signatures made the athletes indirect promotional figures; it warned of closer advertising supervision around the World Cup.
The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has taken action against Betcity and TOTO Winkel after finding both operators broke advertising rules during the World Cup. Investigators said the ads referenced professional football players through names, shirt numbers and national team jerseys.
The KSA said it will first seek voluntary agreements with Meta and Google to address adverts for illegal gambling in the Netherlands. Chairman Michel Groothuizen said around 90% of users use regulated offerings, while illegal gambling spend rivals licensed-sector revenues. The authority is also targeting payment processors and online visibility, and has begun work with Google on a whitelist of EU-licensed operators.
The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has criticised Meta and Google over adverts for illegal gambling operators, with chair Michel Groothuizen saying the regulator will first seek voluntary agreements with the technology companies before considering legal action. The KSA's position was reported on 15 October 2026.
American Gaming Association chief executive Bill Miller criticised the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's role in prediction markets at an industry event in Las Vegas, according to the report. Nevada Gaming Control Board chair Mike Dreitzer said mobile sports wagering in Tennessee had weakened after prediction markets arrived, while acknowledging the AGA had no definitive data on the sector. Miller said the AGA, tribes and state attorneys general were contesting prediction markets in court.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko criticised gambling advertising on 11 September, specifically mentioning Maxline’s advertising and goose logo. Belarusian iGaming search demand reached 203,700 that day, according to the Blask Index cited by the outlet.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko criticised gambling advertising in Belarus on 11 September, saying the country had "turned into a casino" and naming Maxline's advertising and its goose logo, according to a report attributed to the president's comments. The remarks were part of a wider government campaign against gambling advertising, the report said.