3/16/2026
If you’ve made a decision to stop or take a break from gambling, seeing ads splashed across social media can be incredibly frustrating and triggering.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways you can limit gambling apps across social platforms.
On most social apps, if you see a gambling ad, click the three dots and click “not interested” or “report,” which will stop the algorithm showing anything similar to you.
A lot of social apps also allow you to mute words, so you can filter unwanted content:
Examples
- gambling
- bet
- betting
- casino
- sportsbook
- bookmaker
- odds
- wager
- slots
- jackpot
Facebook
Limit Ads: Navigate to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Meta Accounts Centre> Ad Preferences > Ad Topics > Special Topics, and Deselect “Gambling”.
X
Limit Ads: Go to Your Privacy Settings > Interests From X > Toggle Off ‘Sports Betting.’
Mute Words and Phrases: Settings and Privacy > Privacy and Safety > Mute and Block > Muted Words.
Instagram
Limit Ads: Navigate to Settings and Activity > Accounts Centre > Ad Preferences > Ad Topics > Special Topic > Deselect “gambling.”
Mute Words and Phrases: Settings and Activity > Hidden Words.
TikTok
Limit Ads: Navigate to Your Profile > Click the Three Lines in the Right Corner > Settings and Privacy > Ads > Manage Ad Topics > Other > Toggle ‘Real Money Gaming’ off.
Mute words and phrases: Settings and Privacy > Content preferences > Filter video keywords.
Bluesky
Unfortunately, Bluesky doesn’t have a specific way to turn off gambling ads. However, if you see a gambling ad, click the three dots and click “not interested” or “report,” which will stop the algorithm showing similar ads to you.
YouTube Limit Ads: Go to My Ad Centre > Make Sure Personalised Ads Are Turned on > Customise Ads > Sensitive, Then Toggle “Gambling” to “See Fewer.”
Snapchat
Snapchat does not provide a category-level block (e.g., gambling, alcohol, etc.). The only control available is reducing how much data is used to target ads.
Instead, if you see a gambling ad, press down to report it, and you will start to see less content like this.
- There is peer support, and support with the criminal justice system, available at GamLEARN.
- Gamblers Anonymous isn’t for everyone, but it’s available worldwide and is a free, anonymous way to talk to others suffering from gambling harm. · The Gamban Discord is another free, anonymous platform where you can get together with others to chat, play games, or just read what others have to say.
Adapted from guidance originally published by Gamban, a gambling-blocking software provider that helps people reduce access to online gambling and gambling-related content.