Meta Ignoring Illegal Gambling Ads on UK Social Media

by James Gibson, 22 January 2026

Unlawful gambling ads on social media haven’t been dealt with by Meta, according to the UKGC

Meta hasn’t been tackling illegal gambling ads effectively enough. © LoboStudioHamburg, Pixabay

Key Facts:

• The UK Gambling Commission has accused Meta of ignoring illegal gambling ads
• It’s claimed that unlicensed operators use Meta’s social media platforms to target customers
• Meta’s rules state that gambling companies need to be licensed to advertise

Meta is facing questions about its efforts to prevent illegal gambling ads from appearing on its social media platforms. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has accused the company of ignoring the issue.

According to Meta’s rules, a gambling company must have the appropriate licensing in place to advertise on social media platforms. The problem is that many companies are getting around this and advertising without proper licensing.

Highlighting the Issue

The issue was raised on 19 January at the ICE Gaming Conference in Barcelona. Tim Miller, the UKGC’s executive director, said that the problem raises questions of platform accountability and regulatory compliance.

The general consensus is that Meta has failed to detect which ads are from legitimate, licensed operators and which ones are from unlicensed, illegal operators. The company has also failed to block illegal ads.

Miller said the UKGC has been checking Meta’s searchable ad library for some time now. The regulator has repeatedly found instances of operators unlicensed in the UK advertising on Facebook and Instagram.

The operators are promoting their services to UK citizens despite government and Meta rules that prevent unlicensed operators from doing so. Miller said that if the UKGC can identify illegal ads, Meta should be able to do the same.

Not on GamStop

GamStop is a free service that people in the UK can use to block access to licensed gambling sites. Some people who have signed up for the service but want to gamble again look for non-GamStop sites.

These sites are licensed in other countries but not in the UK, so they haven’t joined GamStop. You should be able to join these sites, even if you’re a member of GamStop.

The UKGC searched for ads using the keyword phrase ‘not on GamStop’ . It was able to find ads using the phrase easily, which suggests that companies are actively promoting themselves as alternatives for those who have joined GamStop.

Miller pointed out that if a phrase like ‘not on GamStop’ can identify sites illegally targeting UK players, Meta should be able to find them itself. Meta should also prevent those sites from running their ads.

Harms Associated with Gambling Ads

Meta has suggested that regulators and government authorities should use their own tools, including AI, to report illegal ads. If Meta receives a notification of illegal ads, it will remove them.

The UKGC has said that Meta’s approach is frustrating. The argument is that it should be on Meta to remove illegal ads. If left to the UKGC and other institutions, the process of removing ads becomes slower.

Illegal gambling ads should be dealt with as effectively as possible, according to the UKGC, because they can harm various groups of people. They can, for example, create problems for vulnerable people and even generate revenue for scammers and criminals.

The UKGC has also mentioned that operators without a licence don’t pay UK taxes. They typically don’t have enough safety and security measures in place to protect customers from negative things such as mental harm, money problems and fraud.

According to the UKGC, tackling illegal gambling is a constant battle. The regulator has already shut down hundreds of thousands of sites connected to illegal gambling practices. However, new ones are constantly launching.

Advertising plays a key role in this as it enables illegal sites to attract customers quickly and retain them. Without ads, the illegal gambling market in the UK wouldn’t thrive as much as it does now.

Though the UKGC focused on the effect of illegal gambling ads in the UK, the problem has been reported in other countries. Saudi Arabia and Malaysia ban gambling outright, but ads promoting it still appear on Meta’s platforms.

Meta’s Response

Even though Meta has been asked to comment on illegal gambling ads in the UK, no formal response has been received yet. It’s uncertain whether the company will change its approach to tackling these ads.

The situation with Meta isn’t going to result in the UKGC issuing fines or resorting to formal enforcement action, at least for the time being. However, the UKGC is going to want Meta to step up.

This is the latest in a series of problems Meta has been facing. Its social media platforms have faced criticism for the responsible management of advertising standards and regulatory compliance.

Governments around the world have been urging social media platform providers to crack down on both illegal and harmful content. This includes user-generated content and company-created ads.