Meta platforms aren’t fully complying with Dutch age-targeting regulations for gambling advertisements, according to new research that examined nearly 300 paid adverts on Facebook and Instagram. The findings reveal regulatory gaps that persist despite the European Union’s Digital Services Act mandate for greater transparency and oversight.

The compliance picture

Researchers from City University of Hong Kong and the University of Bristol analysed 277 gambling adverts placed by licensed Dutch operators between 2024 and early 2025. They used Meta’s mandatory Ad Library to assess whether advertisers were respecting Dutch law, which prohibits targeted gambling ads to under-24s. The 18 to 23 age bracket gets special protection.

Of the adverts examined, 31 (11.2%) breached these targeting rules by incorporating at least one year within the 18-23 range. The breaches weren’t evenly distributed. Online gambling licence holders demonstrated strong compliance at 92.7%, with only 7.3% non-compliant. Offline licence holders? Far less disciplined. Nearly 30% of their adverts (14 of 47) violated age restrictions.

Holland Casino and associated brands featured prominently in the violations. One Holland Casino advert reportedly reached over 21,000 Dutch users aged 18-24, which represents an estimated 15% of its total reach within this prohibited cohort.

A technical compliance problem

Part of the difficulty comes down to how Meta’s systems actually work. The platform reports age ranges in broad brackets such as 18-24, which don’t align with Dutch law’s specific prohibition of 18-23 targeting. This misalignment between Meta’s reporting granularity and regulatory precision creates genuine compliance friction, even when operators act in good faith.

The Netherlands has enforced strict gambling advertising controls since 2013 through its Decree on Gambling Recruitment, Advertising and Addiction Prevention. Then in 2023, these rules were tightened further, requiring online licence holders to demonstrate that at least 95% of their advertising audience comprises individuals aged 24 and older.

Broader platform concerns

Meta’s compliance issues extend well beyond the Dutch market. The UK Gambling Commission’s executive director Tim Miller recently highlighted that Meta platforms carry substantial volumes of illegal gambling advertising, including promotions for unlicensed “not on GamStop” sites specifically targeting users who have self-excluded through Britain’s multi-operator self-exclusion scheme.

These findings underscore a systemic challenge: even with DSA transparency requirements in place, platform compliance infrastructure may not be adequately aligned with specific jurisdictional regulations. For Meta, the responsibility now falls to either refine its reporting systems to match regulatory precision or strengthen its internal compliance mechanisms to prevent targeting breaches outright.