Nordic operator Paf teams up with Meta against unlicensed casino ads
Paf, the operator based in the Åland Islands, has started a pilot project with Meta to reduce advertising for unlicensed online casinos on Facebook and Instagram. It was presented at SBC Summit.
The approach
Paf will supply licensing documents and website addresses so Meta can check which brands are licensed and which are not, including affiliate sites that promote unlicensed operators. The first phase focuses on Switzerland, with the option to roll the model out to more markets. Paf's Jesper Eliasson said Meta does not want illegal operators on its platforms, though success is not guaranteed.
- Licence data shared directly with Meta.
- Switzerland is the test market.
- VNLOK in the Netherlands counted over 70,000 gambling ads on Meta in Q4 2025.
Legal pressure
Dutch association VNLOK is suing Meta. It says 95% of the ads it tracked came from unlicensed operators and fewer than 5% were taken down. Chairman Björn Fuchs has called on Meta to take responsibility.
Check the licence first
Whether a casino holds an MGA licence or a Curaçao licence matters for player protection. Read our responsible gambling guide too.
Source: SBC News, 6 October 2026. This article is a short summary of the original report.