British Regulator Accuses Meta of Turning a Blind Eye to Illegal Gambling Ads on Facebook and Instagram – VOI.id

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JAKARTA – The British gambling authority has launched a harsh criticism of Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, with accusations of allowing illegal online gambling advertisements to circulate widely on its platform. This accusation was delivered directly by the UK Gambling Commission, which assessed that Meta failed to protect users from illegal gambling practices that target vulnerable groups.
In his statement on Monday, January 19, UK Gambling Commission Executive Director Tim Miller said that illegal online casino advertising is almost impossible to escape the attention of Meta users. According to him, anyone who spends a little time on Facebook or Instagram is very likely to find promotions for unregistered gambling sites and not participate in the GamStop scheme, a self-exclusion program for gamblers in the UK.
Speaking at the ICE Barcelona gambling industry exhibition, Miller dismissed Meta’s claim that it only learned of the existence of the ad after being told by regulators. He said the statement was not true and implied a systematic allowance for advertising revenue. Miller said this could give the impression that Meta was happy to accept money from fraudsters and criminals until there were those who openly protested.
Meta denied the allegations. The American technology company confirmed that it had implemented strict advertising policies regarding online gambling and gaming. Any ads that violate the rules, according to Meta, will be immediately removed after being identified. A Meta spokesperson said his party had cooperated with the UK Gambling Commission to remove problematic ads and use the findings to improve existing technology-based proactive detection systems.
However, Miller assessed that the effort was inadequate. He revealed that regulators had attempted to communicate with Meta, but it had not yielded significant results. In fact, Meta had suggested that regulators use their own artificial intelligence tools to track illegal ads, then report them to the company.
Miller said he was surprised by the approach and questioned why the giant technology company seemed reluctant to use its own keyword search system to prevent illegal gambling ads from the start.
In his speech, Miller stated that Meta must take a clear stance. He questioned whether Meta was on the side of users who were trying to stay away from the negative impact of gambling, or whether it was giving space for criminals and fraudsters who used social media platforms to trap victims.
According to him, allowing this practice is the same as encouraging vulnerable people to fall deeper into the trap of illegal gambling.
This issue has emerged amid increasing global scrutiny of the role of technology companies in the online gambling ecosystem. In the United States, Meta along with Apple and Google is also facing lawsuits related to casino-style gaming apps.
In September 2025, a federal judge in California denied the three companies’ request to dismiss a lawsuit accusing them of promoting and profiting from illegal gambling practices through third-party apps.
In his ruling, the judge stated that legal protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act cannot be used to exonerate companies from liability in the case. The plaintiffs accused Meta and other technology giants of earning commissions of up to billions of dollars from in-app purchases, while users suffered serious impacts, including mental health problems.
Miller closed his statement by emphasizing that eradicating illegal gambling cannot be done unilaterally. He called for collaboration between the government, regulators, and the technology industry so that there is no more gray area for companies that enjoy the benefits of the legal industry while allowing illegal practices to flourish. According to him, it’s time for all parties to be forced to choose one side, and no longer play safe in two camps at once.
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