According to an analysis by nonprofit outlet
, Meta ran ads for online gambling websites or apps in at least 13 countries with local laws banning gambling ads, including the Philippines, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. These ads direct users to casino-style apps and platforms, offering card games and slots.
, these features are commonly associated with legitimate, regulated platforms in licensed markets.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation has estimated that over 60% of online gambling operations in the country are illegal and unlicensed. Ronald Gustilo, national campaigner for Digital Pinoys, a digital rights group,
told
Digital Pinoys has flagged over 3000 websites to Meta, although only a small number have been taken down at the time of writing. Many of these ads only appear for a short period, running for a couple of hours, before being taken down. The pages advertised often use fake addresses.
India banned real-money online gambling, and advertising was banned in August 2025, but
found at least 140 active gambling ads in December. Malaysia has prohibited gambling since the 1950s, but there were still hundreds of briefly shown ads promoting slot-style casino apps. Thailand recorded more than 500 ads in a single day from a network of Thai-language pages, yet online gambling is illegal in the country.
Reuters investigations
suggest that Meta has generated massive revenue globally from ads linked to scams and illegal gambling. Meta’s advertising policies say that gambling ads are prohibited in “unsupported markets” and that advertisers are responsible for complying with local laws, saying Meta is “not responsible for how authorized ad accounts comply with local gambling laws and regulations.”