Earlier this week, Apple increased the number of ads it displays in its App Store. Many of these new promoted slots were instantly purchased by gambling apps. As a result, a large number of iPhone users and developers resorted to online platforms to express their outrage. After all, some of these low-quality apps were appearing on app listings with contradicting purposes. For example, a person seeking an app to get over their addiction likely won't appreciate having a gambling app advertised on the same page. Following the outcry, Apple has now paused promoting gambling apps on its App Store.

In a statement to MacRumors' Joe Rossignol, Apple confirmed that it has indeed "paused ads related to gambling and a few other categories on App Store product pages." Users browsing through the different sections of the App Store should no longer be seeing these particular ads. Of course, the newly-added advertising slots remain there. At this point, though, they're occupied by different apps that aren't as problematic or controversial.

Apple's statement is pretty ambiguous — as it doesn't highlight the next steps the company will be taking. It additionally doesn't mention the duration of this pause. Will the company permanently ban these ads, or will it eventually reinstate them under more relevant app listings? This remains unknown for the time being. Apart from the new App Store ad slots, the company is rumored to introduce more ads across its Maps, Podcasts, and Books apps in the near future.

Would you be willing to pay Apple a monthly fee to remove the increasing ads across its built-in apps? If so, how much would you pay? Let us know in the comments section below.