TLDR
- Dutch affiliate watchdog KVA says Google’s autocomplete feature is suggesting illegal online casinos to users.
- The group used Chrome’s incognito mode to find search terms like “online casino without CRUKS” appearing in autocomplete.
- KVA says Google has helped remove illegal casino ads but has not done enough about organic search results.
- Dutch MPs have raised similar concerns since December 2025, with limited enforcement against non-.nl domains.
- Sweden and Germany have also flagged search platforms as channels for illegal gambling promotion.
Dutch affiliate watchdog KVA has raised concerns about Google’s search suggestions. The group says autocomplete features are directing users toward unlicensed gambling sites.
KVA posted its findings on LinkedIn on Monday. The organization is known formally as Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates, a Dutch casino affiliate quality mark.
The group looked beyond paid Google ads. It focused on organic search features like autocomplete and suggested queries.
How KVA Found the Search Suggestions
KVA collected data mainly through Chrome’s incognito mode. This method excludes personalized search histories from the results.
Researchers found several autocomplete suggestions linking directly to illegal gambling platforms. One example was “online casino zonder Cruks,” which translates to online casino without CRUKS.
CRUKS is the Dutch self-exclusion registry for problem gamblers. Another flagged phrase was “beste online casino buitenland,” meaning best online casino abroad.
KVA said these suggestions may reflect manipulation by unauthorized operators. It believes some websites are built specifically to redirect Dutch users to illegal gambling offers.
The group acknowledged that Google has cooperated on removing paid ads for illegal casinos. However, it says the company needs to do more about organic search results.
Dutch Lawmakers Have Pushed on This Issue Before
Dutch MPs raised similar concerns in December 2025. CDA MP Straatman asked whether sites advertising as “best casinos without Cruks” should be taken offline right away.
Arno Rutte, the state secretary at the time, responded in January 2026. He said enforcement against these sites remained limited, especially for domains not registered under the .nl extension.
KT van Bruggen is the current state secretary for Justice and Security. KVA says she has pointed to the urgency of finding better ways to limit access to illegal platforms.
A committee of MPs from across the political spectrum raised concerns last week too. They focused on the roles of Meta and Google in supporting the black market.
Candidates from the VVD party called for a harder stance against these tech platforms. Van Bruggen told the committee that both companies remain open to dialogue with the government.
She added that the government will receive a report every six months. These reports will cover illegal gambling advertising across both platforms.
Similar Concerns Are Growing Across Europe
Regulators in other countries are watching similar issues. In Sweden, Spelinspektionen recently flagged affiliates and social media as channels for black market advertising.
That regulator also pointed to how affiliate networks redirect search traffic toward unlicensed operators. In Germany, the GGL credited an updated Google ad policy with reducing black market visibility.
The German regulator still acknowledged that illegal operators can gain visibility through organic search. This happens through SEO manipulation rather than paid ads.
Researchers in the UK have linked black market migration to search-driven promotion. That includes tactics like doorway pages built to funnel traffic toward unlicensed sites.
Most regulators so far have focused their attention on paid advertising. The shift toward organic search and autocomplete suggestions marks a newer area of concern for gambling watchdogs across Europe.
