The UK Gambling Commission has leveled serious accusations against Meta Platforms, claiming the social media giant is deliberately ignoring advertisements for illegal online casinos on Facebook and Instagram.
Tim Miller, executive director of the UK Gambling Commission, made the allegations during a speech at the ICE Barcelona gaming conference, stating that Meta’s claim of being unaware of illegal gambling ads until reported is “simply false.” According to Miller, anyone spending time on Meta’s platforms would likely encounter ads for unlicensed online casinos, with many specifically targeting users outside the UK’s regulatory framework.
The GamStop Problem
A significant portion of these illegal gambling operations advertise themselves as “not on GamStop”—a reference to Britain’s multi-operator self-exclusion scheme that allows users to voluntarily exclude themselves from online gambling. Legal gambling operators in the UK are required to integrate with GamStop, making non-compliance a clear indicator of illegal operations.
Miller argued that Meta could easily identify these illegal advertisers by searching its own ad library for GamStop-related keywords, calling the results “effectively a window into criminality.” “If we can find them, then so can Meta: They simply choose not to look,” he said.
Meta’s Limited Response
The Gambling Commission has engaged with Meta on the issue, but Miller reported “very limited progress” beyond “a few warm words.” When the regulator suggested proactive measures, Meta reportedly proposed that the Gambling Commission use its own AI tools to identify illegal ads and report them—a suggestion Miller dismissed as passing the company’s responsibility to regulators.
Miller expressed surprise that “one of the world’s largest tech companies is incapable of proactively using their own keyword facility to prevent the advertising of illegal gambling,” suggesting Meta is “quite happy to turn a blind eye and continue taking money from criminals and scammers until someone shouts about it.”
The accusations highlight growing tension between tech platforms and gambling regulators over who bears responsibility for preventing illegal operations from using social media for marketing and outreach.