Gambling Ads: Trust Sports to Be Fair and Honest Competitions? Yeah, Sure
February 26, 2026
Gambling is a problem that many countries don’t want to handle. Gambling brings addiction, crime, and other unpleasant situations. Online casinos are a way around strict laws in anti-gambling countries, but they’re fighting back by banning online gambling ads. Yet Meta isn’t obeying the letter of laws and continues to display gambling ads. Rest of the World details how Meta is skirting the lawn in: “Countries Are Outlawing Online Gambling Ads. Meta Is Selling Them Anyway.”
In efforts to curb illegal gambling operations, the Indian government met with Meta and Google in summer 2025 to discuss online gambling advertisements. That meeting was followed up by the Indian government banning online gambling and advertising. India is one of many countries in South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East that ban gambling.
This didn’t prevent Meta from gambling ads in India and twelve other countries where gambling is illegal. In official documentation and verbal agreements, Meta follows the law:
“Last summer, Meta outlined its policies for online gambling and gaming-related ads on its platforms, including the prohibition of such ads in 18 countries it called “unsupported markets” across Asia and the Middle East. Months later, these ads continued to run in at least 13 of the 18 countries where Meta restricts them.”
The ads prove otherwise. The ads follow a pattern where they use a fake address, then run for a short period of six to eight hours. Many of the gambling businesses claim to be based in the United States, but are really in Southeast Asia. Meta claims:
“In its policy outlining the 18 countries where running these ads is prohibited, Meta asks that advertisers ensure they adhere to local laws, and that the platform is "not responsible for how authorized ad accounts comply with local gambling laws and regulations.’”
Reuters investigated the gambling ads and discovered that Meta earned $16 billion or 10% off its revenue from illegal ads that promote gambling, scams, and illegal items.
Now we know why Meta turns a blind eye. Hey, how about those last minute football wins? Hey, penalties? Definitely warranted. And those multi-team draws? Absolutely fair and honest. Figure skating scores? Pristine, folks, pristine. Do bad actors gamble? Just with the games they own, rig, and allow others to use.
Whitney Grace, February x, 2026
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