Instagram sued over illegal gambling ads featuring Virgil Van Dijk, Ronaldo
Instagram is facing a lawsuit over the alleged misuse of images of Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo in illegal gambling advertisements, according to reporting first published by De Telegraaf on Monday.
The case is part of a broader lawsuit brought by the branch organization of licensed Dutch gambling operators, VNLOK, against Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook. VNLOK argues that the platform has not done enough to stop illegal gambling advertisements that have been circulating in recent months, particularly those aimed at Dutch users and featuring the misuse of well-known figures, including Van Dijk and Ronaldo.
De Telegraaf reported that more than 70,000 gambling-related advertisements on Meta platforms were reviewed, with only about 5 percent removed, according to the investigation cited in the reporting. The advertisements allegedly came from unlicensed online casinos that carried out mass marketing campaigns through Instagram and Facebook.
VNLOK says it is taking Meta to court because the platforms failed to act sufficiently against these illegal gambling ads, which it argues harm both consumers and legally operating gambling providers.
The organization is seeking stricter enforcement and removal of unauthorized advertisements, saying the case concerns the responsibility of large platforms to prevent unregulated gambling promotion.
