VBet Netherlands removed from Google search results

Since December 2024, VBet Netherlands—a licensed and regulated platform owned by BetConstruct—has been effectively erased from Google’s organic search results. In its place, Dutch users have been met with unauthorized and unlicensed imitation gambling sites, posing a significant threat to both consumer safety and the operator’s commercial viability.

Despite months of effort to rectify the situation through technical search engine optimization (SEO) updates and formal complaints to both Google and Dutch industry authorities, VBet remains largely invisible to users searching organically on Google’s Netherlands platform. According to the company, the impact has been not only financially damaging but also reputationally harmful, undermining consumer trust and confidence.

A flawed reporting framework

In May 2025, VBet formally reported the issue to Meld Vals Spel, a portal operated by Dutch industry trade associations VNLOK and NOGA. The portal was designed to serve as a formal mechanism through which legal operators could report illegal gambling activities, thereby strengthening enforcement and improving market integrity.

However, VBet has received little more than an automated acknowledgement in response. No direct or substantive follow-up has been provided by either Meld Vals Spel or the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch Gambling Authority, to whom the portal is expected to escalate such cases.

As Ed Quigley, Regional Director at VBet, candidly remarked in an interview with Gambling Insider, “What is the point of a portal if nothing's going to be done with it?”

Industry unification yet limited results

It is important to note that Meld Vals Spel was launched in 2024 by VNLOK and NOGA, two prominent Dutch gambling industry associations. The initiative was hailed as a positive step towards combating the proliferation of unlicensed gambling activity. Since its inception, VNLOK and NOGA have announced their intention to merge, citing the need for a unified industry voice. However, this structural consolidation has not translated into actionable outcomes in VBet’s case.

The situation raises broader questions about the effectiveness of self-regulatory frameworks and trade association-led initiatives when they are not accompanied by active enforcement or governmental support.

Financial losses and reputational damage

The consequences of VBet’s delisting extend far beyond digital visibility. Traffic that should have been directed toward its official website has instead been siphoned off to unauthorised operators. This diversion not only impairs revenue generation but exposes Dutch consumers to unregulated, and potentially unsafe, gambling platforms.

“It's pretty disastrous,” Quigley stated, referring to the combined commercial and reputational toll. In the highly competitive online gambling market, visibility is a critical component of customer acquisition and retention. Without a presence in organic search, a licensed operator is effectively locked out of the mainstream digital ecosystem.

Limited access to Google’s internal processes

VBet has attempted to resolve the matter through Google’s formal channels. However, its efforts have been hindered by structural barriers. The only point of contact available has been the company’s paid search account manager. This channel, by its nature, is not responsible for organic search results—an area governed by a separate team within Google.

Despite multiple tickets being raised, there has been no clear timeline, no admission of responsibility, and no direct engagement from Google’s organic search team. As Quigley observed, “We can't speak to whoever you would need to speak to, which obviously is very strange.”

This lack of access reflects a broader challenge many organizations face when navigating Google’s internal structures—especially when problems pertain to organic search, which lacks the direct customer service avenues available for paid advertising.

Google's stated policies vs. practical outcomes

Google has consistently stated that it has robust policies in place to prevent the promotion of illegal gambling content. However, in VBet’s case, the company alleges that these safeguards have failed. Unlicensed imitators continue to occupy prime real estate in search results while the legitimate operator remains effectively blacklisted.

According to the company’s SEO Team Lead at SoftConstruct, David Mkrtchyan, there are several potential explanations. One is the possibility of negative SEO, a black-hat technique where malicious actors engage in activities that deliberately harm a competitor’s search ranking. Another explanation may be that Google's algorithm mistakenly penalised the legitimate VBet site under the belief that it was non-compliant, while failing to detect the true nature of the imitators.

Google maintains publicly available guidance for recovery from algorithmic and manual penalties, but despite VBet’s compliance with these recommendations, its visibility has not been restored.

Escalation to the regulator remains under consideration

So far, VBet has refrained from directly taking the matter up with the Dutch Gambling Authority. However, given the lack of progress through other channels, this route may soon be pursued. While Quigley did not elaborate on what such an escalation might entail, it is likely to involve formal complaints and a request for regulatory intervention.

Given that the KSA is empowered to take action against unlicensed operators and has an interest in ensuring that legal licensees are not unfairly disadvantaged, this could be a more effective route than continuing to wait for voluntary responses from private platforms.

Systemic concerns about platform monopolies

Quigley also raised a broader concern—namely, the near-monopoly that Google holds in the realm of online search. “Google have essentially a monopoly on the market,” he said. “So it's hard to tell if they actually care, which I don't think they do.”

This criticism highlights a systemic issue: when a single private company holds overwhelming control over digital visibility, legitimate operators may have few effective recourses if wrongfully penalized or delisted. This is particularly true in regulated industries such as gambling, where public safety and legal compliance are at stake.

A call for accountability and reform

The VBet case underscores the challenges licensed gambling operators face in maintaining fair digital visibility, even when fully compliant with national laws. It also raises serious questions about the effectiveness of reporting portals, the transparency of algorithmic decision-making, and the accessibility of platform oversight.

Moving forward, greater accountability may be necessary from both search engine providers and industry regulators to ensure that licensed entities are not drowned out by unlicensed imitators. While technical SEO work remains essential, structural changes in the way complaints are processed and resolved could prove just as critical.

Conclusion

VBet Netherlands’ ongoing struggle is more than just a technical glitch—it is a cautionary tale about what happens when platform algorithms, regulatory inaction, and opaque complaint mechanisms converge. In this case, a compliant and licensed operator has been rendered virtually invisible to Dutch users, while illegal competitors fill the void.

Unless mechanisms are improved for redress, the integrity of the regulated gambling market in the Netherlands—and elsewhere—may remain vulnerable to similar incidents.

FAQs

What happened to VBet Netherlands on Google?
VBet Netherlands was delisted from Google’s organic search results in December 2024, making the site nearly impossible to find through conventional search in the Dutch market.

Why was VBet delisted from Google?
The exact reason remains unclear, but possibilities include negative SEO, algorithmic errors, or penalties applied in error by Google’s systems.

Are users being redirected to fake VBet websites?
Yes, users searching for VBet in the Netherlands are being shown unlicensed imitation sites that could expose them to unregulated and potentially harmful gambling.

What is Meld Vals Spel and how is it involved?
Meld Vals Spel is a Dutch portal created to report illegal gambling websites. VBet submitted a report in May 2025 but has received no substantial response.

Has the Dutch Gambling Authority taken action?
As of now, there has been no direct intervention from the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) in response to VBet’s complaint via Meld Vals Spel.

Is Google responsible for allowing illegal sites in its results?
Google has policies to prevent the promotion of illegal gambling, but those policies have not prevented illegal VBet imitators from appearing in search results.

What has VBet done to resolve the issue?
VBet has taken internal and external SEO actions, filed complaints with Google, and used reporting portals, but the issue remains unresolved.

Will VBet escalate the matter further?
VBet has indicated that it may escalate the matter to the Dutch Gambling Authority if the situation continues.

What impact has this had on VBet’s business?
VBet reports significant financial losses and damage to its reputation due to the loss of traffic and consumer trust in the Netherlands.

Why is this case important to the broader industry?
The case highlights the challenges licensed operators face when digital platforms fail to distinguish between legitimate and illegal services, raising regulatory and accountability concerns.