The Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA) and Dutch licensed operator association VNLOK inspected advertisements related to gambling displayed on Meta platforms in March 2026. Both organizations focused on Facebook and Instagram ads shown to users in the Netherlands.
March Data Shows Large Ad Volume
The research found 15,114 illegal gambling ads within the keyword scope used for the review. The ads had an aggregated Dutch reach of about 37.9 million across the reviewed campaigns. According to KVA and VNLOK, users saw the ads about twice on average, giving a total of 75.8 million impressions for the month of March.
The study did not cover every possible ad. Researchers used the keyword search feature in Meta’s ad library. Search queries included such terms as “casino”, “bookmaker,” “welkomstbonus,” “gratis spins,” and “Holland Casino.”
Revenue Estimate Raises Pressure on Meta
KVA and VNLOK calculated Meta’s possible ad income using estimated CPM rates. This scenario suggests that gambling advertisers and affiliates spent between €8 and €15 per 1,000 impressions.
Under this assumption, Meta may have earned between €606,551 and €1.14 million solely from the March advertisements. The middle estimate of the scenario based on a €11 CPM rate suggests a revenue of €834,008 per month.
Annually, the middle estimate amounts to just over €10 million; the lower one comes out at €7.28 million annually, whereas the higher one exceeds €13.65 million.
The estimate changes the perspective of the problem from one of moderation failure to that of commercial exposure. If the estimate is close to actual ad spend, the issue becomes a commercial risk as well as a moderation problem.
Young Adults Were Still Reached
The data also highlights an aspect of player protection. KVA and VNLOK found that the illegal gambling ads generated an estimated 5.8 million impressions among Facebook and Instagram users aged 18 to 24 in March.
Dutch advertising rules require gambling ads to avoid vulnerable groups, including young adults. For online ads, operators must also show that at least 95% of the reached audience is aged 24 or older. Licensed advertisers undergo stricter scrutiny over targeted ads. However, unlicensed platforms often avoid those controls when buying traffic through social media.
Illegal gambling ads were connected with 1,292 different domains and 2,210 Facebook pages. Meta took action against 38.3% of the ads during the study.
Platform Enforcement Stays in Focus
The findings follow rising Dutch scrutiny of social media as a traffic channel for unlicensed gambling operators. The Dutch regulator has already reported thousands of illegal gambling ads to Meta this year, and legal operators argue that platform enforcement still falls short.
For the Dutch market, the next question is whether Meta can cut repeat abuse at the account, page, and domain level. Takedowns help after an ad is found. The harder task is preventing the same networks from buying new reach under fresh pages, keywords, or creatives.
