Getting paid to play games is a dream for avid gamers, and thanks to a few different factors, today, there are many online game sites that do pay you to play games on their site.
Online computer cash games have become a huge phenomenon in the past few years or so. The online gaming industry has been growing rapidly to the point where according to a World Bank study “Knowledge Map of the Virtual Economy” released in 2011, online games pulled in nearly $3 billion in 2011!
Try Swagbucks, the famous rewards program that pays you for watching videos, taking surveys, shopping and more.
What’s fascinating is that online gaming has become an income provider for hundreds of thousands of people around the world, especially in Asia where people play online games for hours upon hours, earning huge amounts of virtual currency and selling them to wealthy players in the Western world for real cash.
That is why the phrase “get paid to play games” has become so popular that everyday more sites are born with the sole purpose of showing gamers where and how to make money by playing games online.
In fact, online money-making games are so popular that games for money is one of the most often talked about topics on Internet marketing related forums such as MoneyMakerGroup and GetPaidForum. Even ABC News publishes articles on getting paid to play games. Some people go as far as claiming they make their living by playing online cash games.
Can You Really Make Money Playing Games Online?
We all know that you can earn rewards for playing games. But is it really possible to win money playing games online? Can you actually get paid to play video games online for free?…
Well, yes, it is entirely possible to not only win cash for playing games, but actually get paid to play games. Meaning, someone, a company, a website will literally pay you to play their online computer games.
What’s the Catch?
There must be catch or something, right? I mean how else would companies let you make money online playing games on their website?…
Well, to be honest, there could be a catch depending on what kind of online money-making games you are talking about. You see, there are two kind of online games that allow people to win cash: Casino style game sites and free online game sites that give out prizes.
If you have to only sign up for one paid survey site to make money with, I recommend Ipsos-iSay. Ipsos is the most fun and well-paying panel. Give it a try to see how you like it. It is free anyway!
- Casino Style Games
The biggest and most profitable (for the companies) kind of online games are casino style cash games, where you participate in paid tournaments and cash games in hopes of winning big. There are big sites and smaller ones like SendEarnings and Inbox Dollars where not only you can participate in cash tournaments playing games like Bejeweled, 8 Ball, Big Money and other fun games, you can also get paid to read emails and complete free offers. But with those kinds of game sites, you don’t actually get paid for playing. Instead, you spend money in hopes of winning money.
- Free Money Making Games
These are the kind of paid games sites I am talking about. Sites that allow you to make money by playing games without you having to spend any money. These are 100% free game sites where anyone can join for free and get paid for playing games.
How Can Online Game Sites Afford to Pay You for Playing?
Well, there is a very simple, yet ingenious reason behind this; these companies use their online gaming sites as an advertising billboard – They attract people to visit their site, play fun games and win cash and prizes. Once they get enough eyeballs in front of their games, they can sell advertising space to companies who are willing to pay to dollars to advertise their products and services to hundreds of thousands of people.
I am sure you have seen in-game ads whenever you play games online whether it’s a cash game or just a free game for fun, advertising fees are what make this whole thing run. Game sites then use part of that money to entice more people to become players by letting them know they can play games and get paid.
As you can see, offering free cash games has proved to be a very lucrative business model for the online gaming industry which is why it’s getting bigger and bigger.
But enough of that. Are you ready to learn how to earn money by playing games online for free?… If so, here are 12 free game sites where you can play games and earn money:
1- GSN
One of the most famous online gaming companies. You can participate in tournaments and win cash for a variety of skilled based games, from Bejeweled 2 and 8-Ball Pool to Solitaire Rush, Free Cell and more. It’s a popular site.
2- CashDazzle
CashDazzle gives you the chance to win all kinds of prizes and cash everyday, by playing your favorite games. Not only that, you can also enter daily sweepstakes and win big.
3- LalaLoot
For the first 5 days you get free tokens (by simply viewing a few ads) that you can use to play all kinds of fun and addicting games to win cash and prizes. They also give at least $10,000 each day to a lucky winner. The more you play, the more chances you have to win!
4- Swagbucks
Swagbucks was originally founded as on online rewards program where members could earn cash and prizes for searching using Swagbucks search. But over the years, Swagbucks has evolved into an all out GPT site where you an earn money for doing almost anything you already do online. And playing games is one of them. They have the usual arcade, word games, etc.
You earn what are called Swagbucks randomly as you play different games on Swagbucks. And as I mentioned, there are many other ways to earn rewards as well, such completing surveys, referring friends, searching, and so on. You can redeem your earnings by exchanging them for Amazon gift cards and other prizes, or you can ask to be paid cash via PayPal.
5- Exodus3000
Exodus 3000 is a multi-player RPG strategy game where the stage is set roughly 1000 years into the future, after the planet earth has been rendered uninhabitable due to a catastrophic event. Each player has a home base that they can venture out in search of minerals and “mars dollars” ( the official currency of the game) from.
You earn mars dollars by mining volcanoes, searching ruins and attacking other players. After earning a predetermined amount, you can request a cash out. You will be paid in the form of real money. It’s a very simple and fun game and from what I have researched and heard, nobody has had any difficulty in receiving their payment. When you join you receive 5000 free Mars Dollars. Exchange rate is 300,000 MD = $20.00.
6- SecondLife
One of the biggest online gaming sites to ever exist. Anshe Chungthe was recently announced the world’s first millionaire with income earned entirely from virtual world profit. She has made $250 million Linden which can be exchanged for $1 million dollars in the real world. Second Life is a world of almost 2 million people where your avatar (your three-dimensional character) can meet and chat with other people.
You can make money by buying and selling land (Virtual real estate), creating and selling content, clothing, gadgets, hosting and performing at events, Game shows, rock concerts and a whole bunch of different ways including sitting on camping chairs! Yes, store owners will pay you to for sitting on camping chairs near their store, because other people may come to hang out with you and the more people gather the better for the store owner, as it means some of those people may buy stuff from the store.
7- PlayAndWin
You can play many fun and entertaining games like Backgammon, Bingo and Mahjong at PlayAndWin.co.uk for free. You can earn tokens which can be used for drawings for the various Jackpots.
8- PaidGamePlayer
You can play over 25 online games, including Bejeweled 2, Zuma, Family Feud, and challenge your way to the winners circle. Yes its contest based! So, by competing against others and wining, you earn money.
You have the option to upgrade and become a paid member, which gives you more benefits and allows you to win more money, but I suggest you stay away from paid membership. After all, you are there to try to make some money playing games not to spend it.
They claim that over $250,000 in cash and prizes is awarded to members every day. You can also make money by doing other things like completing surveys and trying brand name products and reviewing games.
9- Clip2Play
Most of the games are flash games here and you compete against others in their daily tournaments. 50 people (the winners) are awarded each day. Each person you refer will earn you 10 points which can be redeemed for cash.
10- BingoZone
It’s a free to play bingo site that has games that start every few minutes around the clock, 24/7. Prizes start at $1.00 and increase until there’s a winner .
11- Pogo
There are two ways to win money in this free gaming site; you can play daily prize drawings which works by trading in your earned tokens from playing games for a chance to win the drawing that pays up to $1000, or you can Play any game with a Jackpot and win up to $4,999 instantly and if you play well you get bonus spins.
12- ClubBing (ClubBing has been discontinued)
It’s a new site created by Microsoft as a part of making Bing (Microsoft’s decision-making search engine) known and expanding its reach. Each time you play a game you earn tickets, (some games give you 1 ticket and some 5 ), which then you can redeem for various prizes.
You can also donate your tickets to a charity or school of your choice. There is a limit of 1000 tickets to be earned each day. Every 1000 tickets converts to $10. Make sure to sign in with your Windows Live ID when you play.
The Bottom Line
Although, a few people like Anshe Chungthe did manage to make millions from playing Second Life, for the rest of us it’s highly unlikely that any of us would become a millionaire playing games online.
So, let’s be honest, you will not get rich playing games, nor will you make a living doing this (OK, maybe a handful of people can manage that), nonetheless, it’s always fun and exciting to get paid to play games.