Dutch lawyer accuses regulator of dodging Meta ad fight

Trade body VNLOK has taken Meta to court itself, while the regulator says it prefers dialogue.

The hit

Lawyer Justin Franssen says the Dutch gambling regulator has the legal power to act against Meta over illegal gambling ads but refuses to use it, according to iGaming Business. He made the claim at the SBC Summit, saying Meta’s ad placements amount to “facilitation” already banned under Dutch law. The industry, not the regulator, is now suing Meta instead.

Why it matters

If regulators won’t enforce existing rules against platforms like Meta, operators & trade bodies are left to fund the legal fight themselves. Franssen says the regulator is “paid a serious amount of money by the operators” yet still complains it lacks enforcement powers. A win for VNLOK could force Meta to police ads under EU law without waiting on national regulators.

The record

VNLOK v Meta summons	Served at Amsterdam District Court, no hearing date set
Nederlandse Loterij v Lalabet	Civil action filed March 2025, won in June
Nederlandse Loterij v Qbet	Civil action filed April 2026
EU complaint	VNLOK lodged formal complaint with European Commission in June
AI study	All 10 assistants tested, including Meta AI, named an unlicensed operator

What happens next

Watch for a jurisdiction fight at Amsterdam District Court, where VNLOK expects Meta to push for the case to move to Dublin.

Sources: Lawyer slams Dutch regulator for leaving fight against Meta to the industry

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