60,000 illegal casino ads flood Facebook

The proliferation of illegal gambling advertisements on social media is causing growing concern in Belgium. A recent study commissioned by legal operator Napoleon Games reveals the extent of the phenomenon and points to flaws in the moderation of Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram. 

A silent explosion of clandestine advertisements

In Belgium, the fight against illegal gambling advertisements is hampered by a digital reality that is difficult to control. A study commissioned by the legal operator Napoleon Games highlights the scale of the phenomenon on social media, particularly on Facebook. In a single month (December 2025), nearly 60,000 illegal advertisements were reportedly posted on more than 3,000 different pages. This is not a new concern. For several years, licensed gaming operators have been denouncing the activities of foreign platforms that circumvent Belgian legislation and operate without an official licence issued by the authorities.

However, the proliferation of these advertisements comes at a particular time: Belgium recently tightened the rules governing gambling advertising. The entry into force of this regulation has profoundly changed the visibility of players in the sector. Legal operators, subject to strict advertising restrictions, claim to have become almost invisible on the internet and social media. Illegal platforms are taking advantage of the vacuum left behind. They broadcast aggressive advertisements and attract players to unregulated sites, where protections against addiction or fraud are often lacking.

A phenomenon that is still poorly measured

Despite the spectacular figures put forward, the exact reality of the illegal market remains difficult to measure. The phenomenon has not yet been studied in depth, and the Gaming Commission, which regulates the sector in Belgium, has for several years highlighted a structural lack of resources that prevents it from conducting in-depth investigations.

However, some data help to nuance the debate. In June 2025, a survey conducted to assess the impact of the new regulations indicated that young adults aged 18 to 30 had not fundamentally changed their gambling habits. Contrary to initial fears, they did not rush to illegal sites, but these observations remain preliminary and will need to be confirmed in the coming years.

At the same time, reports of fraudulent advertising continue to flood in. Between January and November 2025, nearly 8,000 illegal advertisements were reported to Meta by the Gaming Commission. Despite the existence of a direct channel between the regulator and the platform, the results remain limited. A deleted advertisement is often replaced almost immediately by another.

The sophisticated strategies of illegal operators

The study commissioned by Napoleon highlights the ingenious methods used by illegal platforms to circumvent controls.

At the heart of their strategy is the mass creation of short-lived pages. These accounts, often followed by only a few users, are generated in rapid succession. Their lifespan is very short, but sufficient to run a promotional campaign. Nearly half of the advertisements identified are believed to have circulated for less than a day.

These ads use attractive images or videos and link directly to illegal gambling sites. Sometimes they direct users to fake pages imitating mobile app stores in order to download an application linked to an illegal casino. Even more worrying is that some advertisements reproduce the visual identity of well-known legal operators such as PepperMill Casino, blurring the distinction for internet users.

To avoid detection by Meta’s automated systems, these campaigns also use particularly sophisticated camouflage techniques. One of these involves inserting hundreds or even thousands of invisible characters into keywords. The word ‘casino’, for example, remains perfectly legible to the user, but detection algorithms struggle to identify it.

Facebook page descriptions are also designed to conceal their true activity. They may refer to innocuous or completely different topics so as not to attract the attention of moderators.

Another widespread technique relies on multiple website redirects. The content displayed depends on the profile of the user visiting the page. This means that when a moderator or automated system checks the site, they may come across a harmless page. However, the user targeted by the advertisement is redirected to the actual illegal gambling site.

Moderation deemed insufficient

Beyond the strategies of illegal operators, the study highlights the shortcomings of moderation on Meta Group platforms. According to the report’s findings, only 11.5% of advertisements posted by unauthorised operators were removed for violating platform rules.

At the end of 2025, a Reuters investigation had already raised similar questions. Internal documents indicated that the multinational was aware of the massive presence of fraudulent advertisements on its platforms. According to these documents, the company estimated that it was displaying up to 15 billion fraudulent advertisements every day. Campaigns would only be blocked once the systems were 95% certain that the content was fraudulent.

Some internal managers raised concerns about the potential impact that stricter controls could have on the company’s advertising revenue. The documents consulted even suggested that around 10% of advertising revenue in 2024 could come from advertisements linked to scams or prohibited products.

A Meta spokesperson disputed the interpretation of these documents. The company claims to be investing heavily in detecting and removing fraudulent content.

Some cybersecurity experts believe that the technology needed to combat these campaigns already exists. The difficulty lies less in the tools than in the willingness of platforms to actually strengthen their controls.

A battle far from over

The rise of illegal gambling advertisements reveals the current limitations of digital regulation. Between national legislation, global platforms and clandestine operators, the balance of power remains complex.

For regulators, the real battle is now being fought on an international scale. As long as digital platforms remain the main vehicle for disseminating these campaigns, the fight against illegal casinos will remain a major challenge.

How can you be sure you are playing at a legal casino?

Playing at illegal casinos carries many risks, but it is very easy to protect yourself. Here are a few tips:

• Do not play at casinos found through advertisements on social media. Legal casinos are not allowed to advertise.
• Check the URL of the casino you are on. The Gaming Commission and Gambling Club both have lists of legal operators in Belgium.
• Contact the Gaming Commission if you find an illegal casino.