Meta and Paf team up for key pilot meant to help identify illegal gambling websites

• Paf announced a pilot with Meta covering Switzerland that will work on identifying unlicensed URLs in the country
• The idea is to scale this partnership across other jurisdictions and ensure that unlicensed websites are more effectively targeted
• Meta has been criticized in the past for turning a blind eye to such gambling adverts

Meta, the parent company behind Instagram and Facebook, has been repeatedly criticized over what has appeared to be a lack of motivation to properly crack down on illegal gambling companies using its platforms to reach customers in prohibited jurisdictions.

Paf and Meta to put their efforts together and crack down on illegal gambling

While a Reuters report suggested that the company is now paying closer attention to fraudulent ads, a collaboration between Paf in Switzerland and Meta now seeks to burnish the social media giant and tech company’s credentials in rooting out fraudulent gambling companies, as summarized by European Gaming.

The news was shared on September 30, 2026, during a panel at the SBC Summit in Lisbon, the media detailed. Paf will lead the charge in helping Meta identify illegal gambling websites that are not licensed to operate in Switzerland.

Paf will provide Meta with a document including URLs of affiliates and operators that are currently allowed and licensed to operate in the country.

Jesper Eliasson, chief business development officer at Paf, has stated the goal of the initiative, arguing that the company had no intention to share the market with companies that have not paid licensing fees or complied with local regulations, and that endangered customers by not committing to responsible gambling practices.

Paf is not limiting itself to Switzerland, but the country will be an important litmus test on whether the company can help strengthen safeguards against fraudulent social media posts and adverts that use Meta’s platforms to amplify potentially harmful messages.

Paf wants to see if it’s sustainable to leverage this pilot in other jurisdictions as well, overcoming Europe’s patchy regulatory framework and providing Meta, as a key partner, with a blueprint to follow in more easily identifying and targeting unlicensed websites.

In the same vein, Eliasson also cautioned against overregulation, arguing that tightening rules around products would not immediately result in safer gambling environments.

Meta has faced pushback in other jurisdictions, including pushback from VNLOK, the Dutch trading organization representing the interests of licensed gambling companies in the Netherlands.

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