KSA and Google Draft EU Gambling White List After Dublin Talks

Michel Groothuizen, chair of the Netherlands’ Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), described the project in an October 14 statement. The agency and several other European gambling regulators met Google and Meta in Dublin in spring 2026. He said a joint task force is now putting together a “white list” with Google.

The Role of the List

The list would identify legal operators across the EU. Google could use it to exclude businesses outside it, according to Groothuizen. He did not describe how authorities would submit licences or how advertisers would be checked. Meta attended the earlier talks, but he named Google as the partner working on the list.

The KSA is trying to cut traffic to illegal gambling sites and disrupt their payment channels. Groothuizen said fines issued to unlicensed operators have brought limited success in collecting money. He also cited an estimated one euro gambled with illegal businesses for every euro gambled with legal ones in the Netherlands.

Three Countries Still Require Separate Licences

A check of Google’s current Gambling and games advertising policy shows how the proposed EU list differs from existing Google Ads approval. Google requires a valid local licence for each target market. Advertisers targeting multiple countries must submit a separate certification application for each one.

The requirements differ across three EU markets:

• Netherlands. Online casino and betting advertisers must hold a KSA licence.
• Germany. The licence must come from a competent German authority. External advertising agencies also need written permission from the licence holder.
• France. Advertisers need ANJ approval, an operating licence number and a .fr domain. Google’s French list covers poker, betting and lotteries, but not online casino games.

That creates a practical test for the future white list. A licence valid in the Netherlands would not, by itself, qualify an operator for Google Ads targeting Germany or France. Groothuizen did not explain whether the planned list will record which countries each operator is authorised to serve.

Affiliate Ad Rules Remain Separate

Google treats operator advertising differently from “online gambling-promoting content,” which includes paid ads for gambling comparison and affiliate sites. France explicitly permits this category under its certification rules. The Netherlands and Germany do not list it. Google says gambling-promoting content cannot be advertised in countries where that category is absent.

Where affiliate advertising is eligible, sites can only promote gambling businesses authorised for their target markets. The KSA has not announced changes to affiliate certification, account status or the existing country-by-country approval process.

The regulator also retains the option of taking legal action against large platforms if voluntary measures do not work. Groothuizen said enforcement under the EU Digital Services Act would require a decision by the European Commission. No proceedings or start date for the proposed list were announced.