It started with a tense exchange inside a Dutch parliamentary hearing in early 2023. Lawmakers questioned why minors continued seeing gambling advertisements on YouTube despite new targeting rules. Regulators explained that platform algorithms were “learning” faster than oversight could keep up. Within months, the Netherlands enacted one of Europe’s strictest advertising crackdowns, and other countries began following.
2025 is the year regulators stopped trusting platforms to self-police.
Across Europe, Australia and the United States, political momentum and verifiable data have converged to create the most aggressive shift in gambling advertising oversight since the early online era.
The trigger was not morality, but technology.
Ads became algorithmic, embedded in livestreams, optimized by machine learning and amplified through influencers at a scale lawmakers say exceeded the spirit of earlier legislation.
As Dr. Emily Hartmann, a digital policy researcher at the University of Amsterdam, put it in late 2024:
“We are regulating an industry that changed its advertising architecture without changing its advertising rules.”
Pressure has reached a boiling point
Taken together, three forces created the first truly continental shift in gambling-ad oversight.
Youth exposure data triggered policy urgency
Real regulatory reports showed a clear pattern:
- The Netherlands Media Authority’s 2023 report Toezicht op Online Kansspelen found minors continued encountering gambling ads on YouTube and Instagram even under targeting restrictions.
- The UK ASA 2022 report Children’s Exposure to Age-Restricted Ads, 2021 Update documented 11,000+ underage exposures to gambling ads on social media.
- Several EU regulators cited these reports when proposing restrictions between 2023 and 2024.
Streaming and influencers accelerated the shift
YouTube, Twitch, Kick and TikTok became major vectors for gambling-adjacent content.
Twitch’s 2022 restrictions on unlicensed casino sites did not prevent gambling streams from migrating to Kick, where audience growth surged throughout 2023.
Public sentiment hardened against ad visibility
According to YouGov’s Global Gambling 2022 report, around 60 percent of UK respondents said they see too much gambling advertising, and fewer than 20 percent believed gambling companies should sponsor sport.
The Netherlands model redefined Europe
The Dutch “untargeted advertising ban,” effective 1 July 2023, included:
- A full ban on untargeted online ads
- No outdoor ads
- No radio or TV
- No influencer or celebrity promotion
- No team shirt sponsorships
- No stadium branding
Belgium followed with its Royal Decree of 8 May 2023, introducing sweeping restrictions across digital, print and broadcast formats.
Italy continued enforcing its 2019 “Dignity Decree” sponsorship ban, which prohibits gambling brands from sports sponsorships.
Spain strengthened its 2021 Royal Decree on online advertising.
Australia’s 2023 parliamentary inquiry recommended phasing out gambling ads across broadcast and digital channels.
This created a domino effect across Europe, with regulators now evaluating Dutch-style restrictions as a baseline.
The EU is moving toward a de facto standard for gambling ads
Although the EU cannot directly regulate gambling markets, it is shaping the rules in three key ways.
The Digital Services Act (DSA)
The 2023 DSA risk assessments require major platforms to mitigate harmful targeting, and gambling appears in multiple risk-category submissions.
The role of consumer protection committees in new ad policy
MEPs have called for:
- Independent audits of marketing practices
- Restrictions on influencer promotion
- Transparency for sponsorship deals
- Stronger protections for minors
Youth-protection mandates
EU guidance documents in 2023 and 2024 repeatedly state that gambling ads must meet higher duty-of-care obligations, especially on platforms with algorithmic feeds like TikTok and Instagram.
The practical effect is a continental alignment on stricter ad visibility.
Why restrictions are expanding only now
In 2010, gambling ads were static.
In 2025, gambling ads are:
- Personalized through machine learning
- Retargeted through Google and Meta systems
- Embedded inside livestream entertainment
- Boosted by influencers with millions of young followers
According to Australia’s 2023 parliamentary inquiry, online gambling ad spend increased by more than 300 percent between 2016 and 2022, with heavy growth among digital channels. Regulators argue that the existing rules were never designed for this scale.
Football sponsorship became the political flashpoint
Football remains the most visible battleground:
- Netherlands: full ban
- Italy: full sponsorship ban since 2019
- Belgium: strict limitations since 2023
- United Kingdom: Premier League front-of-shirt gambling sponsors end after the 2025–26 season
Regulators argue these ads normalize gambling for minors, while clubs argue the opposite: that sponsorship revenue supports competition and financial stability, especially for lower-league teams. This tension continues to play out in committee hearings across Europe.
Operators are rewriting their strategies
CRM and retention become priority
With broad advertising limited, operators are investing in:
- Loyalty mechanics
- Personalized but compliant messaging
- Stronger UX and product quality
Responsible gambling comms move front-and-center
Regulators expect prominent:
- Deposit limits
- Reality checks
- Budget reminders
- Risk warnings
Organic discovery rises again
SEO and affiliates grow more valuable as broadcasters tighten rules.
New sponsorship ecosystems appear
Operators increasingly fund esports, community sports and non-football partnerships.
Countries most likely to introduce new ad restrictions next
Based on ongoing consultations, legislative proposals and regulator briefings:
- France: active youth-protection debate
- Denmark: regulator pushing for limits after ad-volume concerns
- Finland: monopoly reform includes an ethics-focused ad framework
- Germany: broadcaster restrictions under review
- Ireland: stalled reforms likely to revive in 2025
What this shift means for operators in 2025
To remain ahead of regulators:
- Build age-gated landing flows using first-party verification tools.
- Conduct full influencer audits, checking age metrics and platform compliance.
- Avoid bonus-led creatives, since these are now restricted in several EU markets.
- Prepare campaign documentation templates, including audience data, channel selection rationale and risk assessments.
- Implement frequency caps on programmatic ads, aligned with regulator guidance.
These practical steps are no longer optional and are becoming baseline compliance expectations.
What operators should expect next
Expect:
- Stricter age-gating requirements
- Expanded bans on streamer-driven content
- Higher transparency in sponsorship deals
- Mandatory archives for all digital campaigns
- Potential caps on promotional communications
Advertising will continue to exist, but only inside tightly controlled, auditable frameworks.
References
https://open.overheid.nl/documenten/dpc-3eefa08f8ce22122ba66bf5688c8feca2c0b2a01/pdf
https://www.asa.org.uk/static/887860cf-b990-4e51-91f1-246a63986846/2023-Childrens-exposure-to-age-restricted-TV-ads-FINAL.pdf
https://commercial.yougov.com/rs/464-VHH-988/images/YouGov%20Global%20Gambling%20report%202022.pdf
https://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be
https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it
https://www.aph.gov.au
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu
