The U.K. Gambling Commission’s (UKGC) Executive Director of Research and Policy, Tim Miller, criticized Meta for allowing illegal gambling operators to run ads on its platforms.
He made the remarks during a speech on the opening day of the global gambling conference ICE 2026 Barcelona. Miller said he wanted to use the stage to warn regulators worldwide, as the issue is not confined to Great Britain.
He said that anyone who spends even a small amount of time on Facebook or Instagram will likely see ads for offshore online casinos. One of the most concerning issues, he said, is black-market operators who target problem gamblers in the UK. These platforms often present themselves as “not on GamStop.”
GamStop is the UK’s national self-exclusion register, which UKGC licensees must participate in. People can self-exclude for 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, or indefinitely. The exclusions cannot be reversed once activated. Many illegal operators target excluded gamblers who are looking to bypass the block and continue gambling elsewhere.
Miller acknowledged that Meta says it “doesn’t tolerate the advertising of illegal sites” and will remove offending ads once users or regulators notify it. However, he said that the assertion that it is not aware of forbidden ads is “simply false.”
The UKGC director said that anyone can quickly search Meta’s ad library using keywords such as “not on GamStop” to find the offending messages. He said that this tool is “effectively a window into criminality.”
Despite the UKGC’s attempts to work with Meta on the issue, those efforts have produced only “limited progress.”
Miller said the regulator could use AI tools to monitor ads and report them. He believes the company’s lack of interest in proactively preventing illegal gambling ads makes it appear that it’s “quite happy to turn a blind eye and continue taking money from criminals and scammers until someone shouts about it.”
A Reuters report in November shed light on how much money Meta may earn from illegal ads. It revealed internal estimates that about 10% of 2024’s $164.5 billion revenue could come from these sources.
Reuters analyzed leaked documents discussing the matter. One employee suggested setting aside money for potential penalties, saying $1 billion in fines would be manageable.
A Meta spokesperson told Reuters that the documents showed a “selective view that distorts Meta’s approach to fraud and scams.” The spokesperson said the 10% revenue estimate was a rough and “overly inclusive” figure. The spokesperson also noted that it had reduced reports of scam ads by 58% over the previous 18 months.
Meta’s advertising policy currently requires advertisers to obtain authorization before running gambling ads. Black-market operators use several methods to get around this rule. They can use “front” businesses to obtain approval, use bait-and-switch landing pages, or avoid explicit gambling-related terms by using phrases like “not on GamStop.”
The dispute with UK regulators fits into a broader pattern of global scrutiny over Meta’s handling of illegal and high-risk advertising, including gambling-related enforcement failures.
In 2025, Brazilian authorities gave Meta 48 hours to remove illegal ads from its platforms. Meanwhile, regulators in Malaysia told the company it needed to do more to combat online crime and unlawful advertising.
Meta has also faced repeated pressure in India. Both Google and Meta were summoned over gambling-ad probes, and the company later failed to appear for questioning in a money-laundering investigation tied to online betting promotions.
Furthermore, in the Philippines, Meta removed Facebook pages linked to illegal gambling influencers following regulatory intervention.
The international actions have coincided with criticism in the United States over Meta’s broader approach to content and ad enforcement. Earlier this year, the company ended its third-party fact-checking program in favor of a crowd-sourced “Community Notes” model.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg framed the shift as a free-speech move. Still, critics warned that it could weaken safeguards against fraud and deceptive advertising.
Together, the episodes highlight persistent tensions between Meta’s advertising business and regulators’ expectations for proactive enforcement.
This isn’t the first time that Miller has criticized Meta recently. He called out the company last week when commenting on the suicide of soccer fan Ollie Long. Major news outlets reported that Long struggled to control his gambling for eight years and fell victim to sites targeting people who have self-excluded from GamStop.
The UKGC director said Meta’s policy of removing ads only after receiving complaints was “slightly disappointing.” The coroner’s report did not link Long’s death to gambling. His sister criticized the UKGC for not doing enough to combat black market online gambling.
Miller’s comments reflect a growing frustration among regulators that enforcement isn’t enough on its own to combat illegal gambling advertising. He said the question facing platforms such as Meta is not whether illegal gambling ads exist on their services, but whether they are willing to take meaningful action to stop them.
Andrew has more than a decade of experience reporting on the wider gambling industry. He started his writing career in 2014 while completing an honors degree in Economics and Finance. After a short stint in the financial consulting world, he dived into full-time writing, covering a wide range of gambling-related topics.
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