Google autocomplete could steer Dutch players to illegal casinos

Dutch affiliate organisation Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA) has warned that Google’s autocomplete system may be helping consumers find illegal online casinos, even when no paid advertisement is displayed.

KVA tested searches mainly through Chrome’s incognito mode to reduce the influence of personalised browsing history. It found that Google suggested phrases including “online casino zonder Cruks”, meaning an online casino without Cruks, and “beste online casino buitenland”, or best foreign online casino.

“These terms can steer consumers directly towards gambling offered without a Dutch licence.” - KVA

Cruks is the Netherlands’ central gambling self-exclusion register. Licensed operators must prevent people registered with the service from gambling, meaning casinos promoted as operating “without Cruks” sit outside that protection.

Organic search provides another route to illegal casinos

Google has previously cooperated with Dutch stakeholders to remove paid advertisements promoting unlicensed gambling. However, KVA argued that this does not solve the wider problem if autocomplete and organic search results continue to make illegal platforms easy to locate.

The organisation raised concerns that unlicensed operators and affiliate websites could be manipulating popular search terms or using pages designed to redirect Dutch visitors towards offshore casinos.

Its findings do not establish that Google deliberately promoted illegal operators or prove that autocomplete was manipulated. They nevertheless highlight how a feature intended to predict queries can increase the visibility of terms associated with avoiding national safeguards.

KVA has called for Google to look beyond paid advertising and examine how its organic search features surface illegal gambling content.

Dutch politicians seek tougher action

In December 2025, CDA MP J.C.G. Straatman asked whether websites advertising themselves as the “best casinos without Cruks” should be removed immediately. The government responded that the Netherlands Gambling Authority could pursue some websites using .nl domains, but acting against sites registered under foreign extensions was more difficult.

Officials said the regulator was also targeting organisations that facilitate illegal gambling, including payment providers, internet companies and marketing businesses.

Dutch MPs returned to the issue during a recent gambling committee debate. Parties across the political spectrum supported stronger enforcement, while VVD representatives urged the government to adopt a harder stance towards Google and Meta.

State Secretary for Justice and Security KT van Bruggen said both companies were open to continuing discussions. Officials will receive reports every six months on illegal gambling advertising across their platforms, while proposed legislation introducing DNS blocking is due to be consulted on in early 2027.

Regulators look beyond paid advertising

The dispute reflects a broader European shift towards examining how organic search, affiliates and social media drive traffic to unlicensed operators.

Germany’s gambling regulator has credited tighter Google advertising rules with reducing illegal-market visibility, while acknowledging that offshore sites can still use search engine optimisation to appear in organic results.

Removing an advert therefore addresses only one part of the journey. If search suggestions anticipate requests for casinos that bypass self-exclusion systems, consumers may still be steered towards operators offering none of the safeguards required in the licensed market.