Gambling Commission takes aim at Meta over black-market ad revenue

Summary

The UK Gambling Commission, via executive director Tim Miller, has publicly criticised Meta for what it sees as persistent failures to prevent illegal gambling advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Miller highlighted adverts explicitly targeting British users who have self-excluded using GamStop — labelled with phrases such as “Not on GamStop” — and said these are easily found via Meta’s ad library, undermining claims the platform is unaware of the problem.

The Commission says Meta’s suggestion that regulators should use their own AI to spot unlawful ads shifts responsibility away from the platform that earns ad revenue. The regulator has issued hundreds of cease-and-desist notices, taken mass URL removal actions and used website disruption tactics, and plans to use new government funding and proposed powers to suspend domains and IP addresses linked to illegal gambling.

Author style — Punchy: Miller’s remarks are a clear shot across Meta’s bows: regulators want platforms to choose a side — protect consumers or chase ad income. The piece matters for operators, affiliates, ad tech and compliance teams.

Key Points

UK Gambling Commission criticised Meta for allowing illegal gambling ads to run on Facebook and Instagram.
Ads targeting self-excluded British users (e.g. labelled “Not on GamStop”) are still common and easy to find in Meta’s ad library.
Meta’s stance — that it removes unlawful ads only when notified and suggests regulators deploy AI — is seen as shifting policing costs to public authorities.
The Commission has stepped up enforcement: hundreds of cease-and-desist notices, mass URL removals and website disruption actions over the past year.
New government funding and proposed powers to suspend domains/IPs will broaden the regulator’s toolkit, but Miller called for industry and platform cooperation rather than enforcement alone.
Regulator urged licensed operators to tighten due diligence and contractual controls to prevent partners from supporting illegal competitors.

Context and relevance

This comes as part of a wider regulatory push to clamp down on unregulated gambling that harms consumers and damages tax receipts. Social media advertising is an increasingly important channel for both legitimate operators and illegal sites; regulators worry that platforms profiting from ad sales are not doing enough to block criminal activity. The story matters to compliance teams, ad buyers, affiliates, platform policy teams and regulators tracking trends in online harm and enforcement tools.

Why should I read this?

Short and sharp: if you work in iGaming, marketing, compliance or ad tech, this is one you’ll want on your radar. It flags fresh enforcement momentum, shows regulators are running out of patience with platforms, and signals potential commercial and legal risks for partners who sit on the fence. We read it so you don’t have to — it’s a quick way to know whether you need to act or update partners.