Licensed operator VBet has remained invisible on Dutch organic Google search results since December 2024, with unlicensed lookalike sites taking its place.
Despite months of technical updates, SEO work, and reports to both Google and Meld Vals Spel—the Dutch portal for flagging illegal gambling—VBet Netherlands still cannot regain its search visibility. The BetConstruct-owned operator submitted reports to Meld Vals Spel on 5 May 2025 but received only one automated reply. No follow-up has come from either the portal or Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), which oversees gambling regulation in the Netherlands.
“Meld Vals Spel was built to combat the black market, but what’s the point if nothing is being done?” said Ed Quigley, Regional Director at VBet.
Black Market Gains, Regulated Operator Loses
Meld Vals Spel was launched by Dutch trade groups VNLOK and NOGA in 2024 to monitor and report illegal operators. Ironically, traffic intended for the legitimate VBet site continues flowing to its unlicensed clones, damaging both the brand’s revenue and credibility.
“It’s pretty disastrous,” Quigley added, citing the ongoing financial and reputational impact.
While VBet has tried to work with Google, its only contact has been through a paid search account manager. Google has acknowledged the issue but offered limited support, reportedly recommending more PPC spending rather than resolving the organic search problem.
SEO Fixes Ignored, No Way to Escalate
VBet has enlisted both internal SEO teams and external consultants. David Mkrtchyan, SEO Team Lead at SoftConstruct, suspects either an algorithmic misclassification or possible negative SEO—where competitors sabotage rankings—as the root cause. However, despite following Google’s recovery guidelines, the site remains buried.
Quigley noted that escalation has been impossible: “We can’t speak directly with anyone handling organic search. That’s obviously very strange.”
According to VBet, its Google account manager submitted multiple tickets, but there’s been no timeline, response from the organic team, or acknowledgment of error.
No Clear Path Forward
“Google effectively holds a monopoly, so it’s hard to know if they even care—which I don’t think they do,” Quigley concluded.
