Dutch regulator wants an EU-wide list of licensed operators to help Google filter casino ads
The Netherlands gambling regulator says it is part of a task force with Google, Meta and other European regulators aimed at limiting the visibility of illegal gambling operators. One project is a proposed register of licensed operators across the EU that Google could use to screen advertisers.
South Africa has no licensing regime for online casinos, so players here see ads from offshore-licensed brands that a regulator cannot easily police. The Dutch approach, which asks the big ad platforms to check advertisers against an official list, is one model the National Gambling Board could study. It also shows how little legal weight an ad has: a brand that appears in a search result is not thereby licensed anywhere that matters to a South African player.
What was announced
iGamingToday reported on 15 October 2026 that the Netherlands Gambling Authority (Kansspelautoriteit) is working with Google and Meta, alongside several European regulators, in a joint task force that tries to limit how visible illegal gambling operators are online. One project is a proposed register of companies authorised to operate in the European Union, developed with Google. The idea is that Google would have a clearer basis for telling licensed operators from unauthorised advertisers, and for excluding the latter.
The report says talks with the two companies took place in Dublin in spring 2026. It cites the regulator as its source, but we could not locate the underlying statement on the regulator's website, so treat the detail as reported rather than confirmed.
The figures behind it
According to the same report, around 90% of Dutch online gamblers use licensed operators only, yet roughly half of online gambling spending goes to illegal sites. That works out at about one euro gambled illegally for every euro gambled legally. The regulated Dutch online market opened in October 2021, and the regulator has pursued enforcement against illegal operators over roughly the last 18 months.
What this means for South African players
The numbers explain why regulators now go after advertising as well as operators. A player who sees a polished ad has no easy way to know whether the brand is licensed anywhere. South Africa differs from the Netherlands: no local operator holds a licence for online casino games, so the question for players is not "licensed or not" but which offshore licence the casino holds and whether it accepts South African players. Our earlier brief on the Meta case in Amsterdam covers a related court angle.
What to watch next
The register is described as a proposal. Watch for whether other advertising platforms adopt a similar list, and whether any African regulator asks platforms to do the same.