For many people, advertisements are no longer avoidable.
In one Reddit discussion, users said ads were interrupting everyday routines, showing up in chat apps, music services, and even on a smart TV before anything started playing.
Here's what to know
On r/Anticonsumption, the discussion started with an angry post about how inescapable the marketing had become.
"I am so sick of being advertised to constantly," the original poster wrote.
They also said they were tired of "these ghouls stalking us everywhere we go, online and off, just to sell us bulls***. Gambling no less!"
"Can we just take a moment to think about how Smart TV's are now built with ads?" one commenter wrote. "And require updates? And also require accounts and regular accepting of the 'terms and conditions' to use it?"
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The thread also highlighted how little control people feel they have once these promotions are built into platforms and devices.
After one commenter suggested changing Discord settings, the original poster replied, "I don't see any setting to completely disable them but I did turn off personalization and real money gambling so thank you for the tip."
More background
Across the discussion, users described running into gambling promotions in several ordinary parts of daily life, including chat platforms and music apps.
A repeated complaint was that people were being shown this content despite having no interest in gambling at all. Commenters said the ads were appearing while they used products they already paid for or while they were simply trying to connect with friends and family.
Smart TVs became a particular flashpoint in the discussion. Users described televisions that demand updates, push account creation, and surface promoted content as soon as they power on, making the device feel more like another ad-driven platform than a straightforward household appliance.
Some posters also pointed to the practical downside. If getting back to a simpler setup requires extra boxes, workarounds, or even replacement devices, that can mean more spending and potentially more electronic waste from products that should have remained useful for years.
What can be done?
The Reddit thread offered a few realistic ideas, even if none were a complete fix. One commenter suggested keeping a smart TV off the internet and using a separate streaming box such as Apple TV, Chromecast, or Roku instead, effectively turning the television back into a basic display.
Users also noted that streaming devices are not all the same, and that some offer more flexibility than others when it comes to privacy controls, connectivity requirements, and ad settings.
The conversation also touched on software-level options. Personalization settings, gambling ad controls, and account permissions may not erase ads altogether, but they can reduce some of the targeting where those tools exist.
A few commenters mentioned self-hosted or open-source communication alternatives as another possible route, while also acknowledging that those options may not be practical for everyone.
Where can I learn more?
Gambling promotions are showing up in a lot of the same places people complained about in the Reddit thread.
• Young men are the target as betting companies flood digital spaces with promotions.
• LG owners called new TV ads unacceptable after promotions began appearing before anything was watched.
• Hulu subscribers said the "ad-free" service still showed promotions, deepening frustration with paid platforms.
• YouTube said fewer ads during livestreams could reduce interruptions that have altered the viewing experience.
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