Illegal online casino advertising on major social media platforms is under heightened scrutiny, with the UK Gambling Commission questioning Meta’s approach to enforcing its own rules. The concern centers on paid promotions for unlicensed gambling sites that appear on Facebook and Instagram, including ads aimed at British users who have self-excluded from online gambling through the national GamStop program. The regulator argues that illegal gambling continues to exploit the same digital channels that licensed operators use, while platform responses remain reactive.

During a speech at an industry event in Barcelona, a senior regulator noted that illegal casino ads have become a recurring feature for users in Great Britain. Many of the ads promoted sites that explicitly positioned themselves as alternatives for people trying to avoid gambling, using phrases such as “Not on GamStop” to signal that self-excluded users would still be able to wager. The regulator emphasized that the ads were not obscure or difficult to locate, with several appearing as sponsored content in social feeds.

Questions Over Platform Enforcement and Responsibility

The regulator disputed Meta’s contention that it could only act against unlawful gambling ads once they were reported or flagged. Reacting to Meta’s assertion that it was unaware of such advertising until notified, the regulator called the claim “simply false” and pointed to Meta’s public ad library as evidence that illegal promotions were easy to identify. He added: “It could leave you with the impression they are quite happy to turn a blind eye and continue taking money from criminals and scammers until someone shouts about it.”

The regulator highlighted that Meta’s searchable ad library contained entries where advertisers openly stated that their sites were “Not on GamStop.” He argued that this demonstrated that the necessary detection tools already existed, and that it was implausible that such ads would remain unnoticed without external alerts. “If we can find them then so can Meta,” he said. “They simply choose not to look.”

Meta Responds While Regulator Expands Its Critique

In response, Meta said it enforced strict policies for gambling-related advertising and removed violations once identified. As Reuters reported, a spokesperson said the company had been “working closely with the Commission to identify and remove all the flagged ads found in violation of our policies, and we’re using this intelligence to further improve the proactive detection tools we already have in place.” Meta encouraged continued collaboration with the regulator to help protect both users and legitimate advertisers.

However, the Gambling Commission indicated that progress in direct engagement with Meta had been limited. It described instances where Meta suggested regulators deploy their own AI tools to detect problematic advertising, a stance the Commission viewed as a shift in responsibility from platform operators to public authorities. The regulator warned that requiring government bodies to monitor commercial platforms at taxpayer expense raised broader questions about corporate accountability.

The Commission situated the Meta issue within a wider assessment of illegal gambling markets, platform advertising systems, and supply chains that connect regulated and illicit operators. It warned that suppliers, affiliates, advertisers, and technology companies providing services to both licensed and unlicensed gambling firms undermine the transparency of the regulated sector. The regulator urged licensed operators to apply stronger due diligence and contractual oversight to ensure partners do not facilitate illegal competitors.

The regulator reported that it had issued numerous cease-and-desist notices and disrupted hundreds of illegal gambling websites over the past year. It also noted that new government funding and proposed powers to suspend domains and IP addresses associated with unlicensed operators would expand its enforcement capacity. Still, it cautioned that enforcement alone would not resolve the issue without cooperation from platform companies.

The Commission concluded with a call for collective action, asking whether platforms are prepared to align with regulated gambling markets or continue to profit from unlicensed activity. It suggested that platforms must decide “whose side they’re on,” arguing that current practices force regulators across multiple countries to intervene in platform systems rather than the platforms addressing the behavior themselves.