London, Jan 20: Britain’s gambling regulator accused Meta Platforms on Monday of turning a blind eye to illegal online casino advertising on its platforms, saying users routinely encounter promotions for unlicensed gambling sites on Facebook and Instagram.
The UK Gambling Commission said many of the ads promote casinos that do not participate in Britain’s GamStop self-exclusion program, a key consumer protection that allows people to bar themselves from online gambling, as reported by Reuters.
Executive Director Tim Miller dismissed Meta’s assertion that it only learns about illegal ads when notified, calling the claim “simply false.” Speaking at the ICE Barcelona, Miller said Meta’s own searchable ad library shows advertisers openly stating their sites are “Not on GamStop.”
“It’s effectively a window into criminality,” Miller said. “If we can find them then so can Meta. They simply choose not to look.”
Miller added that the regulator has made “very limited progress” in addressing the issue with Meta and said the company could use its own keyword tools to prevent such ads. “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,” he said.
