Meta has been hit with a €5.85m ($6.48m) fine for violating Italy’s gambling advertising ban, according to the Italian Communications Regulatory Authority (AGCOM). [Image: Shutterstock.com]

The company breached the rules of Italy’s Dignity Decree, which came into effect in July 2018. Imposing a strict ban on all types of gambling, the aim was to tackle gambling and addiction in the country.

Following an investigation, the regulator found “promotional content” for gaming and betting on 18 social media profiles. This included Meta-owned Instagram, which had five, and 13 on Facebook.

Meta was in a position “to know the illegality of the content”

AGCOM also found 32 “sponsored” videos and/or images aimed at promoting online gaming and betting. The regulator deemed that Meta was in a position “to know the illegality of the content” and as such was held responsible for the content. After being contacted by the AGCOM, Meta removed 11 of the investigated profiles, but it remained liable for five.

Despite efforts to tackle gambling in Italy, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has criticized the country’s ban on gambling, claiming it’s pushing operators to the black market.

EGBA Secretary General Maarten Haijer said: “Without a sufficient level of advertising, there is no real way for Italians to tell the difference between a gambling website which is licensed in Italy – and applies the country’s consumer protection rules – and one that is not.”

In December, YouTube was fined €2.5m ($2.77m) and Twitch €900k ($997k) for violating Italy’s gambling ad laws.