In the Netherlands, 97% of iGaming Ads on Facebook Come from Unlicensed Operators

The Association of Licensed Online Operators in the Netherlands (VNLOK)
published an analysis of iGaming advertising on Facebook in the Dutch market for October 2025, based on publicly available data from the Meta Ads Library.

Key Findings of the Analysis

A search using 10 keywords (“Casino,” “Sweet Bonanza,” “Big Bass Bonanza,” “Holland Casino,” and others) identified 588 advertising accounts that ran campaigns in the Netherlands during the month. The main findings include:

• 61,717 ads (97%) were placed by unlicensed operators.
• 1,911 ads (3%) were placed by licensed operators and affiliates.
• 567 accounts promoted unlicensed operators.
• 21 accounts promoted licensed operators.
• 2,095 ads (3.4%) were removed by Meta.
• 59,618 ads (96.6%) continued to be displayed.
• 79% of ads from unlicensed operators were shown for less than 24 hours.
• 1.5 days — the average display duration for unlicensed ads.
• 25 days — the average display duration for ads from licensed operators.

Placement Formats Used by Unlicensed Operators

• 51% — video ads.
• 36% — static images.
• 13% — dynamic personalized ads.
• 65% used the “Play” button.
• 26% used the “Download App” button.

How Operators Bypass Moderation

Most unlicensed operators rely on cloaking and disguise their pages under categories unrelated to gambling. According to VNLOK, more than 150 different masking categories were identified.
The association’s chairman compared the situation to a “cat-and-mouse game” between operators and Meta’s moderation system.