How to earn real money by playing games

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There are dozens of online games that actually pay you to play games. Yes, it sounds unbelievable and scammy, but there are several truly impressive sites and apps that let you make some cash or earn other types of compensation by playing games, going shopping, taking surveys, eating out and much more. Participants are paid via PayPal Cash, through gift cards, local discounts, and points that are redeemable for a variety of things.

Don’t worry if you aren’t an extensive gamer, even though some experience playing will definitely be a bonus. There is no need to have gaming equipment either. Rather than using an Xbox, PlayStation or another gaming console, these games can be played using an Internet connected computer. If you are ready to dive in and starting earning by playing games and having fun, explore these top sites that users rave about.

Make Money Playing Games

1. Swagbucks

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EARNING STYLE

Points. Convert to cash or giftcards.

OPPORTUNITIES

Earn by watching videos, playing games, taking surveys and shopping online.

REPUTATION

Well known and highly recommended company in the industry.

Swagbucks is rated as a top site for those looking to play video games as well as have other options for money making opportunities. It is 100% free to use and is highly rated by current participants. So far, Swagbucks has paid nearly $450 million out to users. All that is needed to get started is a high quality connection to the Internet. Those who are new to the gaming world can ease in to things by participating in Swagbuck’s featured game promotions to earn Swagbucks while gaining experience. However, there are more ways than gaming to make some side money on this versatile site.

• Online Surveys: Besides gaming, users seem to enjoy participating in Swagbucks survey program, which is filed out completely online. Brand and market research surveys pay anywhere between five cents to $35.
• Testing Services and Products: A number of service providers and brands pay users through Swagbucks to test run certain products and services. Participants are expected to give honest feedback. Typically, you’ll receive either a portion or all of the cost of such said service or product refunded in addition to payment.
• View Videos & Review Content: All you have to do is check out a video online and leave a review of a specified length to get paid.
• Dining Out: Swagbucks Local lets you get cash back when dining out, so while you aren’t getting ‘paid’ per se, you are in a sense of getting exclusive discounts at participating restaurants in your neighborhood and even when you travel.
• Read Our Full Review Here

2. Inbox Dollars

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REPUTATION

One of the most popular and reputable companies in the space.

EARNING OPTIONS

Wide variety of ways to earn.

PAY

InboxDollars says exactly what they will pay you in dollars. Many other sites using points which you may need to convert.

Another great way to make cash in a versatile online environment is Inbox Dollars. You can make money playing games and get started right away. There’s no charge to sign up, and Inbox Dollars has quite a nice selection of games to pick from. Many are exclusive to the site, but they also partner with GSN games including the casino to expand your options.

For each dollar spent, you can earn 18% cash back with Inbox Dollars. Gamers are limited to making only $10 per day to start but can earn much more as they progress. So far, Inbox Dollars has paid out over $59 million to participants via cash rewards, checks and gift cards. Gaming is just the beginning of what Inbox Dollars has to offer when it comes to ways to earn some extra dough.

• Watch Videos: Inbox Dollars has partnered with many large companies who pay them to pay you for watching videos and filling out a short survey.
• Take Online Surveys: Online surveys here pay a bit better than most and take between 3 and 25 minutes to finish. Specialized demographics can pay fairly high rates up to $75.
• Shopping Online: Inbox Dollars lets you shop online and earn cash back as well as qualify for discounts from numerous top brands. Members get access to free stuff tips, too.
• Read Our Full Review Here

3. Mistplay App

The Mistplay app provides a platform for game developers to see whether gamers enjoy the games they developed or not and how to improve the games (so in short, another game testing website). Through the app, game developers get to know how people react to their games and whether it is popular or liked by players. After players have completed playing and testing a game, they will be asked to answer a survey so that game developers can learn about their experience.

Depending on which game you play, the playing period can account for only a few minutes of your time or much longer. Generally, the longer you play and the more complicated the game is, the better you will get paid. You will earn rewards in the form of points, which can be redeemed for gift cards or in-app credits.

There are some requirements to playing games on Mistplay. The first requirement is that you have to be 18 years of age or older. Additionally, game availability is region-based, meaning you can only play games that are available in your region.

4. Paid Game Player

Paid Game Player is a website that pays you to do tasks such as playing games, viewing ads, and testing products. If you want to get paid to play games and not have to view a site ad every few minutes (which you do for free), you will need to update your membership to a premium membership, which is $4.99 a month. If you choose to stay with the basic (and free) membership, you still have the opportunity to earn money from playing games. However, you do so through a much slower process: competing for cash on a limited number of games, playing games to earn points, which may only be a few cents, and redeem your points for cash.

Premium members can earn addition money by reviewing games. While you still get to play games, you act as more of a tester than a player. If you want to be a tester, be sure to look for glitches, bugs, and other things that bother you while playing. After playing, submit a review of your experience and any feedback you have to earn some extra money.

5. Quick Rewards

QuickRewards is a website that allows you to earn money by doing certain things. There are three programs you can join when you sign up on Quick Rewards: the QuickRewards Shop and Save Program, the QuickRewards Paid for Your Opinions Programs, and the QuickRewards Earn Cash Online Program. The first program, Shop and Save, lets you receive coupon discounts and earn cash back when you shop at associated stores. The Paid for Your Opinions program refers to paid surveys they have on the website that can you fill out. The last program, Earn Cash Online, is where you can earn money by doing things such as playing games and reading emails.

When you play games on QuickRewards, you accumulate points, which can be used to redeem for cash or gift cards. If you want to withdraw cash, you will need a valid PayPal account for QuickRewards.com to transfer your money to.

6. Erli Bird

Erli Bird is a testing platform where you can earn money from testing products and services, including games and apps, before they are released. For each test and review, you receive $10. If you are a great tester and are in the top 25% of testers, you will receive an addition $5 for each test.

If you want to sign up as a tester on Erli Bird, you will need to meet some requirements: being 18 years of age or older; can speak and write English fluently; have a device that is required for a particular test; and have a PayPal account where Erli Bird can transfer your money to. If you want to cash out, you will need to have made at least $5.

7. Esports

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve heard of Esports, as they are the leader in online games for both amateur players and professionals. Players go online and compete in group competitions organized by Esports. Millions of fans log on to watch these live streams. There are shooter games, fighting games, and card games just to name a few of the most popular on the site. Some of the top prizes in high stakes tournaments can hit up to $200,000.

During multiplayer gaming tournaments, wages will be split between the number of players, so not everyone will win big, but the potential is there. Thanks to a high-quality broadcast stream, the interface and viewport let you follow other games, see live odds, and make bets on teams if you prefer not to participate in the game. Esports makes fast transfers to a sport book company if you prefer, and offers several types of payment options for winners to collect their earnings.

Other Ways to Make Money Playing Games

If you come to this article because you want to look for ways to earn money by playing games, you should know that there are more ways to do so beside playing paid games. Below are some other methods to make money by playing games (and doing a little extra work).

1. Participating in big game tournaments

Remember when your parents told you that you won’t make money playing video games? Well, it turns out that maybe in their time it is true, but now there are game tournaments where the prize can be millions of dollars. For example, Kyle Giersdorf, the first 16-year-old from Pennsylvania has won the first Fortnite World Cup, taking home $3 million. So sorry parents, but playing video games can actually earn some money.

Games such as Call of Duty, League of Legends, Dota 2, and Fortnite pay out millions of dollars in tournament prizes each year. If you are a pro gamer and can win in tournaments (not even finals, really), you can make thousands of dollars or even millions of dollars. Thus, if people around you tell you that you are good at playing video games, keep practicing and maybe enroll yourself in a tournament in the future!

2. Becoming a YouTube gamer

PewDiePie is probably one of the most, if not the most, well-known gamers on YouTube. He currently has over 106 million subscribers with more than 4,000 videos, ranging from videos of him livestreaming his games to reaction videos. His reported net worth is $15 million, and even after Disney severed ties with him due to his video showing some anti-Semitic symbols, he still makes hundreds of thousands of dollars from YouTube ads.

While it might take you a long time to have as many subscribers and make as much money (along with some luck) as PewDiePie, it’s never too late to start. However, becoming a YouTube gamer is different from being a pro gamer. You don’t even need to be good at gaming to have a large base of subscribers, actually. The key requirement to being a successful YouTube player is being entertaining, relatable, and consistently making content viewers want to watch.

Most famous YouTube gamers make money from ads and sponsors. If you are popular enough, companies will invite you to promote their products and/or to appeal to a certain demographic. There are some requirements before you can make money from ads on your YouTube videos, however:

• Have at least 1,000 subscribers
• Have over 4,000 public watch hours for the last 12 months
• Have a linked AdSense account
• And, of course, live in a region where the YouTube Partner program is available

If you think you’re funny and are willing to put in the work, start making YouTube videos today!

3. Becoming a professional game tester

If you become a game tester on websites like Erli Bird, you probably won’t make as much money. However, you can become a professional game tester and get paid as much as a full-time job would pay. Being a pro game tester goes beyond just playing games and telling developers what you think of the game – you will need to do matrix testing, which means testing every single character, in every single setting. This could mean you will need to test thousands of combinations before you get paid. To be fair, this job is closer to being a gaming quality assurer than a tester.

Being a professional game tester requires you to be highly analytical and detail-oriented. You are faced with high expectation from game developers – they expect you to report every glitch, every bug, and every detail that might frustrate potential gamers. Aside from the many combinations you need to test, you also need to report your findings to developers in a professional manner. Quite similar to an office job, really.

4. Farm in-app or in-game currency

Let’s say you are playing a game and need 1,000 coins to unlock a feature that you really, really desire. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t offer in-game coins for purchase. Yet, fortunately they allow players to transfer their coins to another player.

As you just learned of this feature, you now want to buy or exchange 1,000 coins form another player. You come across a player with 2,000 coins and decide to send them a direct message: “Hello, I will pay you with real money if you sell me 1,000 coins. Let me know if you’re interested”.

Now imagine if you are the one with 2,000 coins and getting this message. Pretty awesome, right? Although being a game-currency farmer might not be the highest paying option, it still presents many opportunities to make real money from playing games.

5. Becoming a streamer on Twitch

Twitch is a streaming platform that is similar to streaming on YouTube or Facebook, but for video games. You can earn thousands of dollars a year by streaming on Twitch, but only if you are a Twitch Partner.

In order to become a Twitch Partner, you will need:

• At least 50 followers. Compared to 1,000 subscribers required on YouTube to become a partner, this is a much lower number
• At least 500 minutes of broadcasting (in total) in the last 30 days
• An average of at least 3 concurrent viewers for the last 30 days
• At least 7 broadcast days for the last 30 days

You make money on Twitch by displaying ads and getting sponsorships, similar to how you would make money on YouTube. If you are a popular Twitch streamer, you can potentially make up to $5,000 or more a month. Well, grab a camera and let’s get it rolling!

Get Paid Real Money

Ready to Play for Cash? Any of these great sites are sure to get you engrossed in the world of virtual game playing for real money. Don’t forget to ask your friends to join in, as most of these gaming sites for cash offer referral bonuses.

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