The United Kingdom's gambling regulator has publicly accused Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, of knowingly allowing advertisements from illegal gambling operators to target users in the UK. The Gambling Commission asserts that Meta is choosing not to proactively police its own ad platforms, effectively enabling criminal activity.
Regulator's Investigation Reveals Systemic Issue
According to a speech delivered by Tim Miller, the executive director of the UK Gambling Commission, the regulator has been actively monitoring Meta's searchable advertising library. The investigation focused on identifying operators without a UK license who were specifically targeting British consumers. The findings were presented at the ICE gaming conference in Barcelona on Monday, January 19, 2026.
"It's effectively a window into criminality," Miller stated, according to a transcript of his address. "If we can find them then so can Meta: they simply choose not to look." This direct accusation underscores the regulator's frustration with the tech giant's perceived inaction.
Targeting the Vulnerable and Bypassing Safeguards
The Commission's search specifically used keywords like "not on Gamstop" to find offending ads. Gamstop is a critical UK service that allows individuals with gambling problems to voluntarily block themselves from licensed gambling websites. All legal operators in the UK are required to integrate with this program. Ads promoting sites "not on Gamstop" explicitly target vulnerable individuals seeking to circumvent these protective barriers.
Miller emphasized the severe consequences of these ads, noting they disproportionately affect at-risk people and primarily benefit "criminals and con artists." Unlicensed operators do not contribute taxes, and consumers face a significantly higher risk of fraud and lack any recourse through regulated complaint channels.
Meta's Response and Global Pattern of Neglect
When confronted by the Gambling Commission, Meta's reported response was to suggest that the regulator use its own artificial intelligence tools to find and report illegal advertisements. The company promised to remove ads only after being notified. "I would be very surprised if Meta, as one of the world's largest tech companies, is incapable of proactively using their own keyword facility to prevent the advertising of illegal gambling," Miller countered. "It could leave you with the impression they are quite happy to turn a blind eye and continue taking money from criminals and scammers until someone shouts about it."
A spokesperson for Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Bloomberg News, the original publisher of this report. It is important to note that Meta's own published policies require gambling advertisers to hold valid licenses in the countries they target.
This is not an isolated UK problem. An earlier investigation by Rest of World found that illegal gambling advertisements are widespread on Meta's platforms in other countries where such operations are banned, including India, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. The UK Gambling Commission is part of a growing international effort to clamp down on offshore operators who sidestep local laws and consumer protections.
The Commission has taken action against hundreds of thousands of websites linked to unlicensed gambling and issued numerous cease-and-desist orders. However, regulators describe it as a constant battle against an ever-evolving target, one made more difficult when major advertising platforms like Meta do not implement robust, proactive enforcement of their own rules.
