Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced a major change in its gambling advertising policy at the beginning of July 2025. Until now, many advertisements from poorly regulated operators circulated freely, without any real control. Meta now acknowledges that it must remedy this situation, under pressure from regulators and civil society.
Systematic filtering via Business Suite
From now on, all gambling-related advertising (sports betting, online casinos, lotteries, poker, prize games and operators) must be approved via Meta Business Suite’s Permissions and Verifications interface. Without this formal validation, the promotion is simply prohibited. This requirement applies not only to operators but also to intermediaries, affiliates and comparison sites.
The documents required include valid licences, company information and must be provided in English. Meta reserves the right to request additional evidence after the initial submission. This reflects a desire to make all players accountable and to regulate the sector more rigorously.
Explicit inclusion of influencers
Another new feature is that influencers can no longer circumvent the regulations. When they publish content sponsored by a gambling player, they must register as affiliates and obtain specific authorisation from Meta, accompanied by a contract signed by both parties. The aim here is to prevent “casual” videos featuring winnings disguised as neutral content from escaping scrutiny.
Enhanced protection for minors
Meta is reaffirming its zero tolerance policy: advertising for gambling games may not be targeted at minors (under 18). Even “social” games, where no money is at stake, are concerned if they reproduce the experience of gambling and are likely to attract young people. This measure is a response to growing concern about teenagers’ exposure to this type of content.
A global movement under regulatory pressure
This update is part of a global context. Regulators are demanding greater transparency and consumer protection. For operators, this means compliance efforts, particularly with regard to the presentation of licences, the location of targeting and the documentation to be provided.
However, some players are denouncing the grey areas. A report by the Open Rights Group (based in the UK) criticises Meta for a paradoxical situation: advertising to prevent gambling-related risks must comply with stricter rules than commercial advertising itself. It is therefore more restrictive to raise awareness of harm than to promote gambling.
Still according to the Open Rights Group, many operators use the Meta pixel to track Internet users as soon as they visit their site, without clear consent. This data is then used for intensive advertising targeting across multiple platforms. The result? Vulnerable users, already at risk, see their news feeds inundated with inciting content.
And in Belgium? Ongoing collaboration
In Belgium, the Gaming Commission reported nearly 1,300 illegal gambling ads to Meta in the first three months of 2025, which were quickly removed. Nevertheless, the problem persists: new adverts are appearing, underlining the need for a more proactive strategy and greater synergy between Meta and the authorities.
A step forward, but still unfinished business
At this stage, the new rules represent an important step forward. Meta now confines gambling-related advertising to a rigorous verification process. However, NGOs are calling for more: allowing explicit consent for tracking, applying the same constraints to prevention advertising, and monitoring the targeting of vulnerable populations.
The success of these measures will depend on their effective implementation. Experts point out that the technology used to identify at-risk groups may reproduce discrimination, amplified by AI, if nothing is done to correct it.