Meta has officially opened its European advertising platform to sports betting and casino operators who hold Malta Gaming Authority or UK Gambling Commission licenses and comply with new transparency mandates. The policy reversal, effective immediately, permits licensed operators to bid on sports betting keywords, run geo-targeted campaigns, and access audience segments previously blocked under Meta's blanket iGaming ban.
The change comes after 18 months of negotiation between the European Gaming and Betting Association, individual operator compliance teams, and Meta's Brussels policy office. Regulators in Germany, France, and Spain expressed frustration that Meta's overactive content filtering prevented licensed operators from reaching consumers, inadvertently directing traffic to unlicensed competitors.
Operators must now verify licensing credentials via Meta's advertiser identity verification system and commit to serving only geo-compliant audiences. DraftKings and FanDuel, both Meta advertisers in North America, have begun migrating EU sportsbook campaigns to Meta after years of relying exclusively on affiliate channels and organic search.
Betfair and other established operators report 40–60% cost increases in affiliate commissions, making Meta's advertising option financially attractive despite Meta's 25–35% bid premiums. Smaller regional operators with limited brand budgets may face difficulty competing against well-capitalized names in the newly opened auction space.
Google has not announced equivalent policy changes, though industry observers expect pressure to mount. TikTok has signaled willingness to revisit iGaming restrictions pending EU consultation, potentially opening a third major platform for operator acquisition campaigns in 2027.
Source: Marketing in Asia
Sofia Eriksson
Senior Reporter
Member of the iGaming Pulse editorial team. Covering industry news, analysis, and B2B developments across the global iGaming sector.
