When I first started playing Scrabble Go it had fewer ads. Gems were plentiful back then. Today the gems are few and far between that are awarded to you for free. Gems are used to play in the arena where you can play other types of games. My favorite was the word drop type game because they really challenge a players speed, knowledge and skill. You have to buy them now if you want more than what they give for free. Now ads are bountiful in the game.