VNLOK has asked the court to rule on whether Meta is meeting its obligations under the EU’s Digital Services Act, and to order the company to fix its practices so illegal operators can no longer target Dutch users on Facebook and Instagram. The trade body’s own research earlier in 2026 found that 90% of gambling ads on Facebook came from illegal operators, and that Meta only removed 11% of flagged ads in May and 15% in June after being notified.
VNLOK chairman Bjorn Fuchs explained:
“We have repeatedly pointed out the scale of the problem to Meta and asked them to cooperate structurally in finding a solution. That has yielded insufficient results. Therefore, we are now submitting the case to the Dutch courts.”
The lawsuit came a day before the Dutch House of Representatives was set to vote on a separate motion that would let the Netherlands Gambling Authority fine online platforms directly over illegal ads. Fuchs called that vote a good sign that lawmakers are ready to hold platforms more accountable, and argued that the regulator doesn’t actually need new legislation to start enforcing against companies like Meta. He also noted that going after one platform alone won’t solve the issue, since illegal operators move to other channels once blocked.
