Gambling: when Facebook ads target children
Advertisements for gambling using photos of children have recently been circulating on Facebook.
Advertisements for gambling using photos of children have recently been circulating on Facebook.
Problems associated with gambling do not always leave visible traces, until the consequences become impossible to ignore. This observation is at the heart of Speeltermeer, a campaign launched at the beginning of January aimed at professionals in contact with people at risk.
The chairman of the Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA), Michel Groothuizen, has publicly expressed his reservations about the coalition government’s plan to impose a total ban on gambling advertising.
The Ksa has issued a stern warning to operators One Casino and bet365 following the discovery of major infringements concerning their sports betting offer in 2025.
What started as a handy extra feature is now officially banned.
The Ksa is drastically strengthening its collaboration with sports federations and professional clubs to tackle persistent grey areas.
Between political projects, societal concerns and consumer protection issues, how can we guarantee the safety of players without pushing them towards illegal offers? A recent initiative supported by the KVA is giving fresh impetus to this debate by highlighting the concrete risks associated with circumventing existing protection mechanisms.
A court in Limburg has ruled that the immediate dismissal of a Casino Peppermill branch manager was lawful.
A minority coalition government in the Netherlands has made the fight against the risks associated with gambling a central priority of its programme. In a 67-page document published at the end of January, the executive announced a series of radical measures, including a general ban on all gambling advertising and possible restrictions on the number of licences granted to online operators.
It started with small wins. Then everything went faster. Gambling a little every day and thinking you’re being smart. Until you lose everything.
A study published in January 2026 by the Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA) analyses the online search behaviour surrounding the expression ‘no-limit casino’.
As the Dutch government prepares to present a periodic report covering the policies applied between 2019 and 2025, parliamentary officials are asking: are we in a position to judge the effectiveness of these policies if the main indicators of gambling-related harm have not yet been defined?
For several weeks now, viral videos on TikTok have featured the SkyHills logo or name. Beyond the visual strangeness, what are the consequences of this advertising that promotes an illegal service?
They seem like harmless platforms for gamers. But behind the scenes, illegal gambling links are increasingly popping up. The world of gambling affiliates is dark and cunning. They buy sites to fill them with illegal gambling offers.
On 22 January 2026, the Ksa issued a binding injunction against Hillside, the operator of Bet365, for serious shortcomings in its duty of care towards players. Charging the operator with poor financial controls, the regulator is demanding compliance within four weeks, a decision that Bet365 rejects outright, promising to take the matter to court.
For several years now, the fight against illegal online gambling has been gaining momentum on the agenda of European regulators. In the Netherlands, the idea of a kind of ‘Gambling Interpol’ has recently been put forward. However, expert Rik Wanrooij believes that this approach risks obscuring the essential issue.