Meta Criticised Over Transparency of Gambling Ads on Social Media

Regulators and digital rights groups are raising concerns over how Meta handles gambling ads on its platforms Facebook and Instagram. Critics argue that commercial gambling advertisements are less scrutiny on transparency compared to public health campaigns, which they insist is creating an imbalance in how potentially harmful content is regulated.

Watchdogs Raise Concerns Over Meta’s Gambling Ad Policies

Watchdog groups led by the Open Rights Group (ORG) are calling out Meta for a strange double standard in that if someone runs an ad warning about the dangers of gambling—basically, a public health message—Meta treats it like political content, which means it has to follow stricter rules, like showing who paid for the ad and how it’s being targeted.

However, if a company runs an actual gambling ad, i.e., promoting online casinos or sports betting, Meta subjects the ad to comparatively lax rules. According to them, Meta is making it harder to talk about the risks of gambling than to advertise gambling itself.

They consider the lack of transparency around targeted audiences, ad spend, and advertiser details a serious flaw, especially given that ads promote casinos and sports betting platforms the same way across regions with different sets of regulations.

How Gambling Ads Work on Meta Platforms

Meta’s rules for gambling ads are as follows:

• Advertisers must prove they’re licensed in each country they intend to run their ad.
• Advertisers must verify their identity.
• Advertisers must not target anyone under 18.

ORG and other watchdogs acknowledge the presence and sufficiency of these rules, but they have questions on their enforcement.

ORG claims to have identified multiple loopholes through which gambling companies can easily get around these protections. For example, with the help of tools like Meta Pixel—which tracks people’s online behaviour—they can secretly target users who they deem financially vulnerable or likely to fall for gambling ads.

The criticism is that even with rules in place, it is still pretty easy for gambling companies to game the Meta user-protection system.

Ad Targeting Safeguards and Loopholes

Here’s how Meta’s ad system is supposed to work—and where the company clashes with the critics.

Case Studies: When the System Fails

While Meta claims it blocks ads from users under the age of 18, documented reports show minors are still receiving targeted promotions for gambling and skin-betting.

Other investigations reveal social casino apps, which don’t host real-money games, but work just like any real-money gambling site, operate with little to no oversight at all.

It has also been shown that ads promoting addictive behaviours are still reaching vulnerable people even in places with tight gambling regulations.

Meta’s Response to the Criticism

Meanwhile, Meta has responded, maintaining it enforces a strike system for violations and promising to keep on removing non-compliant content upon detection.

Worth noting is the multinational technology company also updated its rules in mid‑2025 making it a prerequisite for real‑money gambling ads to undergo manual approval—marketers are now required to submit verified documents and proof of licensing via Meta Business Suite.

Meta imposes stricter ad compliance rules for gambling operators and affiliateshttps://t.co/naWJRGpVzk

— Yogonet Gaming News (@YogonetNews) July 7, 2025

Regulatory Pressure and Global Implications

Regulators like the UK Gambling Commission have clearly been paying attention, with new standards in various European jurisdictions now requiring gambling operators to give users the option to opt out of receiving promotional content.

Despite recent efforts, Meta’s lack of clear and consistent rules around how it shows gambling ads is still a big concern for both watchdogs and lawmakers.

And it’s transcended gambling—the issue has become part of a larger conversation about how big tech companies use user data and algorithms to show ads. By the look of things, governments will soon be stepping in with new transparency rules targeting platforms like Meta.

Why Transparency in Gambling Ads Matters

• It protects vulnerable groups from being targeted with gambling promotions.
• It prevents the silencing of public health campaigns by ensuring they aren’t held to stricter rules than the very gambling ads they aim to warn people about.
• It enables regulators to know who is advertising and to whom.

Clear Rules Are Needed

The debate over gambling ads on social media isn’t new—but it has recently taken a sharper turn. Watchdogs and regulators are now pressing big platforms like Meta for answers. And rightly so!

As online betting becomes more widespread, regulators are under pressure to keep up, push for clearer rules, and stop harmful practices before they become too normalised to undo.

Sources & Further Reading:

• SiGMA – Decoding Meta’s ‘twisted’ gambling ad policies
• Yogonet – Meta imposes stricter ad compliance rules for gambling operators and affiliates
• Open Rights Group – Meta Requires More Transparency About Anti-Gambling Ads Than Gambling Ads
• Gambling News – Meta Faces Fresh Backlash Over Gambling Ads Targeting At-Risk Audiences
• @YogonetNews on X