The Dutch affiliate trade association KVA has accused Google of directing users toward illegal online gambling platforms through its search autocomplete and suggested query features.
KVA Investigation Findings
KVA’s audit of Google's search prompts revealed suggested search queries specifically designed to circumvent national gambling controls, including:
- "online casino zonder Cruks" (online casino bypassing the Cruks national self-exclusion register);
- "beste online casino buitenland" (best foreign or offshore online casino).
According to KVA, unlicensed gaming operators and affiliate sites actively manipulate Google’s autocomplete algorithms to capture high-intent organic search traffic.
Demands for Organic Search Moderation
While Google currently collaborates with Dutch regulatory authorities to remove paid advertising for illegal operators, KVA urges the search engine to extend these enforcement mechanisms to organic search results and algorithmic auto-suggestions.
