Licensed operator struggles with search engine visibility amid rising black-market threats
VBet’s Organic Search Disappearance
Bet Construct-owned VBet Netherlands has been virtually invisible in Google’s organic search results since 18 December 2024, a development that has severely hindered its online presence in the Dutch market. Instead of the legitimate site, search rankings are dominated by unlicensed imitation platforms, leading to significant financial and reputational losses for the operator.
Despite repeated efforts to resolve the issue—including technical SEO fixes, reconfigurations, and compliance checks—the site remains delisted. Ed Quigley, Regional Director at VBet, described the situation as “pretty disastrous,” highlighting the dual hit to revenue streams and consumer trust.
Regulatory and Reporting Gaps
In an attempt to address the issue, VBet reported the illegal sites impersonating its brand to Meld Vals Spel, a portal created in 2024 by Dutch trade associations VNLOK and NOGA to monitor and combat black-market gambling. The operator also logged complaints with Google, yet neither avenue has yielded any meaningful support.
VBet received only an automated response from Meld Vals Spel and has yet to hear from the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), which oversees regulatory enforcement. The lack of follow-up has raised questions about the portal’s effectiveness, with Quigley asking:
“What is the point of a portal if nothing’s going to be done with it?”
Google’s Role and Algorithmic Penalties
The situation is further complicated by Google’s opaque algorithms and the company’s monopoly on search visibility. VBet’s SEO team, led by David Mkrtchyan of SoftConstruct, suspects either negative SEO attacks or an algorithmic error that mistakenly penalized the legitimate site.
Although Google has public recovery guidelines, VBet claims to have followed every required step with no success. Instead, Google’s advice largely directed the operator toward filling out forms and increasing pay-per-click (PPC) spend, which Quigley sees as inadequate and commercially exploitative.
Industry Implications: A Case of Monopoly Power?
The ongoing delisting incident highlights the vulnerability of regulated operators to search engine algorithms and the power imbalance between digital platforms and industry stakeholders. With Google dominating search traffic, the inability to escalate the issue internally has left VBet in a digital limbo.
Moreover, the incident underscores a broader industry concern: black-market operators continue to exploit gaps in search engine enforcement, while legitimate licensees face obstacles in protecting their online visibility.
Next Steps for VBet and the Dutch Market
VBet is considering escalating the issue directly to the KSA, while continuing SEO optimization efforts to restore visibility. The case also calls into question the effectiveness of Dutch initiatives like Meld Vals Spel in combating illegal gambling online.
As the conflict drags on, it serves as a warning to other regulated operators: even full compliance does not guarantee protection in a digital landscape shaped by algorithmic opacity and unresponsive tech giants.
