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Get Paid to Play Video Games at Home (42+ Ways)

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There’s no doubt that playing video games are a lot of fun, but what if I told you there are many ways in which you can get paid to play video games?

From playing video games at home and making a few dollars to potentially turning it into a full-time career, I wanted to create the ultimate guide as to how you can start right now.

Now, before you get excited, do know that a lot of these methods will not make you rich.

In fact, you will be lucky to make a few dollars a day, but don’t let it deter you just yet as that $2 every day could add up quite fast, making for a nice dinner or a small shopping trip.   But, at least you’re having fun while making cash, right?

So, in today’s post, I wanted to talk about the many ways you can make money while playing video games, all coming from 100% legitimate sources as always.

If you’re asking yourself, “how can I get paid to play video games?,” then this is the guide for you.

Let’s begin!

QUICK NOTE: I tried to break down the options into categories as some will make you money now, while some options require you to win or even build an audience.  As you’re about to see, there are a TON of options.  Best of luck!

How to Get Paid to Play Video Games

Swagbucks

I promote Swagbucks so much on this website, but honestly, it’s one of my favorite websites to make cash on the side, primarily surveys.

Every day, I spend about 20 minutes on the website and make about $100~ in gift cards every month.  As long as you don’t mind answering questions for major companies, you can stay quite busy.

Now, aside from answering surveys, which the company is well known for, they also offer opportunities to earn cash while playing games.

And, while it’s not as much as taking surveys, it appears you can make a few dollars a month in doing so.

Aside from the free game options, they also opportunities wherein you can earn Swagbucks for every dollar you spend at a qualified partner as well.

Remember, a lot of these options won’t make you a ton, so as long as you keep that in mind, you won’t get frustrated.

Swagbucks is 100% free to join, and in many cases, they offer a pretty nice sign-up bonus just for joining.  Join today and see what kind of opportunities you can take advantage of.



Inbox Dollars

Inbox Dollars is yet another program I’m part of, but honestly, I don’t use it as much as Swagbucks or a few others, simply based on the fact that they don’t offer as many surveys.

Regardless, it doesn’t mean you should at least sign up and see what kind of offers you can take advantage of.

Like Swagbucks, Inbox Dollars focuses a lot of surveys, but they do offer a pretty neat games section, wherein you can get paid to play games.

And, glancing at the games list, they definitely have a lot more options than Swagbucks, at least while I was writing this, and according to the fine print, it simply noted that the more you played, the more you could make.

How much?  It’s tough to say.

With a variety of games, ranging from solitaire to puzzle-like games, there’s has to be at least one game that may be of interest to you.

QuickRewards

QuickRewards, similar to that of Inbox Dollars and Swagbucks mentioned prior, also offers the opportunity to make money while playing games.

Since 2002, the company has awarded thousands of dollars, crediting you in as little as 24 hours.  Don’t let the outdated design fool you!

With an extremely low payout at $0.01, you can cash out almost the next day via PayPal if you so choose.

Aside from making money while playing games, QuickRewards offers surveys, videos as well as other money-making opportunities.

Bananatic

Bananatic is a pretty cool setup, where you can earn what’s known as “Bananas,” the company’s currency as you test and play games.

Now, unlike a lot of these websites where you play games and either earn tokens and/or attempt to win cash, Banantic asks you to play them, test them and then write a review.

And from the looks of it, there are a ton of genres, with some popular titles available such as Roblox and even Star Trek.  Games are added daily so be sure to keep checking in.

Aside from writing reviews, the company also gives you quests in which you can earn even more bananas as you complete them.

Joining is 100% free, and to date, the company has paid more than $400,000 to more than 2.5 million members.

Razer

Razer rewards you to play a variety of games, earning “Razer Silver” for every minute you play.

Now, while there are limits to as how much you can earn in a day, the featured games seemed to be quite good and are probably games you could already be playing.  In fact, I would say the game selection was probably the best out of all the options I list here.

For example, as I was writing this, Razer would reward you for playing Monster Hunt World or Diablo 3, both pretty popular games.  In the past, the company also worked with Battlegrounds, Crossfire and many more.  It’s quite the selection, I promise you that much!

Once you earn enough rewards, you can then exchange your silver for vouchers, gift cards and more.  You can see all of the rewards without joining here.

Website:  Razer

Second Life

Second Life has been around forever, and if you’re not familiar with it, it’s similar to that of The Sims, only that you can actually make real money while playing.

From creating your own virtual business to selling experiences and items, it works a lot like life works, with the exception in that it’s all online.   Take the in-game currency, known as Linden Dollars and convert it into real cash.

I’ll be honest.

I’ve maybe dabbled with this game years ago and I don’t have much experience, but some people have actually made millions playing.  Yes, that’s millions with an M.

Second Life in itself could be a whole another process as to ways you can make money, but for now, I recommend this highly-rated book or visit the free community to learn more as to ways you can capitalize.  They will do a much better job than I can.

If you like the idea of living in a virtual world, all while making cash, at least download the platform to see what it’s all about.  It’s 100% free, so you have nothing to lose.

Beta Family

Beta Family invites beta testers to join their online program to test new and upcoming phone apps.

While not all of these apps are gaming related, you can scroll through the list, once you’re approved, and pick out apps you want to test.  And, next to each app, you will see exactly what’s required of you as well as how much you will be rewarded, so be sure to pay close attention if you want to get paid.

Joining is 100% free, but do keep in mind that you need to apply to any job that is of interest to you once you gain access to the database.



Erli Bird

Erli Bird is a beta testing platform, but they work with a lot more than just video games.

As a beta tester, you can earn at least $10 per test and you get full control as to which jobs you want to work with.

According to the company’s FAQ, you can earn up to five opportunities a month, making it a nice way to earn $50+ a month by helping developers with their product.  All payments are made via PayPal seven days after the project completes.

While it’s not meant to replace your day job, it can be a nice way to at least go out to dinner once a month.

Long Game Savings App

The Long Game Savings App is a relatively new mobile app that helps motivate you to save more money, all while playing games.

Here’s how it works.

First, you will be asked to sign up for a free account and securely link your bank to get started.  In doing so, the app will reward you with some bonus coins to get started.

Then, as you play games and attempt to win some pretty good prizes, sometimes up to $1,000,000 in cash, the app will reward you with virtual currency in which you can eventually deposit into your new Long Game Savings Account.

As you build the funds, the money is 100% yours and you can withdraw at any time after it posts.

The more you play, the more you can save.

Panel Polls

Panel Polls is always looking for someone who enjoys playing video games through its “iGamelab” program.

From testing online games to mobile games/apps, it appears the company will pay up to $15 per month to test a variety of games.

As long as you have parental consent, they accept applicants as young as six years old.  Follow the link below for more information as well as the application.

PlayTestCloud

PlayTestCloud is always looking for mobile app video game beta testers who want to test out new games that developers submit to the website.   And, honestly, out of all options, this is one that I see a lot of people make money from.

And, if approved, PlayTestCloud will send you games via email and will ask you to think out loud while you play.

Unique when compared to the other options here, the company does this so that the developers can know exactly what you’re thinking as you test the game.  It’s also a much better option if you don’t feel like writing.

After your job ends, you can submit it and get rewarded for your time, which, according to the company, is about $10 for 15 minutes of game play.  Payments are sent directly to your PayPal account.

It’s free to join, but there’s no guarantee they will accept you as they do ask that you take a short qualification test before you apply.

Puzzle Play

NOTE:  Appears to be inactive as of September 2019

Puzzle Play is a unique puzzle game that rewards you just for playing.

Known as a “slide puzzle game,” your goal is to put the puzzle back together by sliding the pieces into its proper spot.

Then, once you complete the puzzle, the company rewards you with points, in which you can then cash out for a gift card of your choice.

If you’re a fan of brain teaser/puzzle-like games, it’s a great game to keep you occupied for the time being and get rewarded in the meantime.

  • Website:  Puzzle Play

Get Paid to Download and Play Video Game Apps

AppBounty

AppBounty is a fantastic free app that allows you to explore new apps, including video games, in which you can be rewarded to download and test.  I would say it’s one of the most popular of its kind, with more than TEN million downloads.

For example, when I downloaded the app, I could simply download a car racing game, test it and get rewarded 200 coins.  This was just one of the many options I had on my dashboard and it appeared to update almost daily.

Like most of these apps that I list in this sub-section, once you earned enough credits, you could then redeem it for a variety of rewards, including Amazon gift cards, iTunes gift cards and many more.

As one of the best apps, at least in my opinion, I highly recommend you at least check it out and use my code, hetwazfs, for a special bonus.  You can also check out my in-depth review to show you exactly how it works.

  • Website:  AppBounty

appCent

appCent rewards you with free gift cards just for trying new apps.

Download the free app, glance at the list/instructions and download any apps of interested.

Then, as long as you follow the directions specified, the company will credit you with coins, in which you can then cash out for a variety of rewards, including Bitcoin, gift cards and much more.

AppNana

Almost as popular as AppBounty, I would say this is probably my second favorite app in terms of being rewarded to test apps and even play games.

With AppNana, it works the same way as many of these I list here in this subsection.

Download the free app, glance at the list and download the games that seem interesting to you.

Then, once you meet the criteria, you will be rewarded with what’s known as “Nanas,” the company’s currency you can eventually redeem for gift cards.

To date, this app has awarded more than $10 million and has more than 10 million downloads.

  • Website:  AppNana (use code t28115305 for a bonus)

App Flame

App Flame recommends the best apps, including video games, that you can try and get rewarded for doing so.

From brain teaser games to action, App Flame will reward you with what’s known as “mCoins,” the company’s currency that you can eventually convert to real money or even gift cards.

Unlike a lot of these apps, wherein you can select from a list, they do their best to pick out the apps they think you will like.

So, the longer you use the app, the more it can get to know you and recommend great options.

AppStation

AppStation is a relatively simple concept.

Download the free app, install one of the free games on the list, and get rewarded as you unlock achievements while playing the games.  The more you play, the more you can earn.

Once you earn enough coins, the app lets you convert them into PayPal cash, Amazon gift cards and so much more.



Big Time Cash

The Big Time Cash app is said to be one of the only apps that earn you money all while playing FREE video games.

Already giving away tens of thousands of dollars, the only thing that you need to do is play any of the games listed on the app, collect a ticket and then be entered into a cash drawing with the tickets you earn.

From the looks of it, you won’t earn money per game, per se, but you can increase your chances with the number of tickets you enter into the drawing.  The more tickets you have, the more you can earn.

To date, the company has more than one million downloads with a 4.6/5 rating.

And, it’s completely free to join.

PlaySpot

PlaySpot allows you to earn cash for playing games, and unlike some of these options where you need to win the cash, you actually earn it here.

Let me explain how it works.

PlaySpot works with a variety of publishers who want you to test their games, and in doing so, they will reward you for your time.

Simply download a game you want to play, play it and then earn cash for your time.

From there, you can either cash out via an Amazon voucher or PayPal, it’s up to you.

The app is 100% free and is only available via your mobile phone.

Tech2Cash (BigCash: Highest Paying Cash App)

The Tech2Cash app, available on the Google Play store, lets you earn real cash just for downloading games and testing them, as well as completing surveys.

With a wide range of gift cards and a somewhat low payout at $15, you could have cash in hand in as little as a few days, depending on how much you use it

Much like a lot of the apps mentioned in this subsection, the concept is quite simple.

Download the app, pick out a game you like, play it and get rewarded.  Just make sure you always follow the directions before doing so to make sure you get your credits.

Video Games That Pay Big Prizes (must win to earn)

Bingo! Zone

If you’re a fan of bingo games and want to win cash, then Bingo! Zone may be a website to check out.

And yes, while the website looks a bit outdated, don’t let it fool you as the company is, indeed, legit, and pays progressive cash prizes until there’s a winner.

100% free to join, it’s a fun way to play bingo and potentially win a cash prize.

Unlike a lot of these options, however, wherein you earn cash as you play, this is more of a gamble more than anything.

Givling

Givling is very unique in that you band together with others to help pay off student loans and mortgage debt for others, all while answering trivia questions that pay out large awards.

Here’s how it works:

Sign up via the company’s app, either on the Google Play Store or iTunes, and create an account.

Then, once your account is activated, you can play the free trivia game twice a day to compete for large cash rewards, sometimes as much as five figures.

And, every time you play, you will automatically join a three-person team and answer true/false statements until you strike out or meet the limit.  The more you answer right, the higher your score is.

If you win, the highest scoring team splits the pot!

Aside from attempting to win, you can win what’s known as “Queue Points,” which move you to the top of the “Queue” to help get your loan paid off, up to $50,000.

If you want to play trivia, knowing that someone who wins will pay off some sort of debt, it’s definitely one to consider!

GSN Cash Games

GSN is a dinosaur in the online game space as one of the first gaming websites ever invented, but yes, they still exist to this day and have quite the selection of games.

With a wide variety of games, both free and paid, you can earn what’s known as “tokens” every time you play a game on the website.

From casino games to action games, you name it, it’s more than likely here.

While you won’t earn cash during your game, you can cash out these tokens via the online store, either redeeming them for items or even entering a sweepstake for bigger prizes.

Lucktastic

In short, the Lucktastic app is basically a lottery scratch-off game, wherein you scratch your lottery tickets in hopes of winning some cash.

While you won’t win much, I have played this app in the past and don’t really recommend it, solely based on the fact that it takes forever to earn coins and even cash.  Since there is a $10 minimum before you cash out, I did find that once you get close, it almost appears rigged in a way that they won’t let you reach that threshold.

As always, however, I don’t want to be biased, so I will include it here for you to check out.

It is 100% free, and if you’re a fan of scratch-off tickets, it is a somewhat fun way to burn some time while not wasting any more.

If you do join, consider using my referral code, IFW7MNQ, to receive your bonus.

Publishers Clearing House

Yes, the company that randomly arrives at your doorstep with a large check also has an online game portal wherein you can win some pretty big prizes, often up to $1,000.

I contemplating putting the website here since you’re not really making money, but instead, trying to win, they seemed to have some fun games that you could at least try.  That’s the main reason why I put it in this sub-section.

Games ranged from arcade-like games to a carnival setting, with at least 10+ to choose from.

Aside from games, you could also test your luck with token games, slots, scratch offs, sweepstakes and more.

Solitaire – Make Money Free

From the makers of the Big Time Cash app I mentioned earlier, this app, as noted, focuses on Solitaire only, earning you tickets for every game you play.

Then, just like Big Time Cash, the more you earn, the better your chances are at winning the grand prize.

Again, you won’t make money while you’re playing the game, however, if you like the idea of potentially winning, it could at least be worth a shot.

Solitaire – Make Money Free has more than 500,000 downloads and a 4.6/5 average rating.

  • Website:  Solitaire – Make Money Free (Google Play)

SpinToWin Slots

The free SpinToWin Slots app reminds me of a lot of the Lucktastic app, in which you can win prizes by playing daily scratchers or the slot machines.

And from reading the reviews, it appears some people win a few dollars a month, again, not much, but as with most of these options, you’re not going to get rich.

Play games, earn coins, and then, once you earn enough, you can exchange for a variety of prize options.

With chances to win upwards to $10,000, the app is 100% free to download and has more than one million installs.

Get Paid to Play Video Games as a Career (or for side cash)



Consider Becoming a Video Game Coach

Are you extremely good at a game, especially one where people compete in tournaments for money?

If so, you may want to offer your services by “coaching” other players, similar to that of a tutor, on Craigslist, Game-coach.com or even Fiverr.

For instance, when I was writing this, coaches who played League of Legends, Heartstone, Overwatch, Rocket League and Fortnite where all in demand, offering their services for up to $30+ an hour.

As long as you consider yourself to be in the top 1% or extremely good in a sense, there’s probably somebody out there who may want to pay you to teach them what you know.

Become a Video Game Tester

A video game tester may sound like a highly coveted job, and it is, but do keep in mind that it isn’t what it may seem.

In some cases, you may play the same level 80 hours straight, looking for a certain glitch or be asked to play a game designed for a 5-year-old.  The lesson here is that it isn’t all glitz and glamor.

If you still want to jump in and consider this as a job or even as a potential career, companies are always hiring testers, but finding this job will depend on where you live and which company is hiring since every company has its own requirements as to who they hire.

To find a video game testing job, it’s quite simple.

Use Indeed.com, search for “video game tester” and see what pops up in your area.  Nine times out of 10, you can find some legitimate job opportunities from real companies that require no up-front fees to tell you “how” to find a video game testing job.

Aside from Indeed, you can consider the following reputable resources as well:

Also, aside from these job portals, a lot of your well-known gaming companies offer game testing jobs as well, including:

Keep in mind that a lot of these jobs will require some sort of experience, so be sure to read the job description in detail before wasting the company’s time.

And, as a fair warning, there are a lot of scams in the video game testing industry.  Never pay for information or send sensitive data to a company you never heard of.  You’re only asking for trouble.

Blogging

When most people think of making money with video games, many think of actually playing and broadcasting their game or making money while playing.

Well, thinking outside of the box, blogging can be an awesome way to make cash, all while talking about the video games you love.  Plus, if it turns into a business, you could potentially write your video games off as a tax writeoff.

From creating a walk-through with screenshots to answering questions about the game, bloggers make money in a variety of ways, from sponsored posts to advertising networks.

Working in the blogging space for years now, I can tell you that money can be made, but it’s hard to explain how in a few sentences.

While I may write about something in the future, for now, I recommend you check out free resources such as the Ahrefs.com/blog or even Backlinko.  There are also a variety of pretty decent books on Amazon.com.

As the internet is filled with a ton of jokers who want $400+ for their course, don’t bite!  You can easily find everything they are slinging for free, I promise you that much.

Sell an Account and/or Currency

Did you know there’s a market where others are willing to pay you cash for either a character that’s leveled up and/or currency in a game?

If you’re a gamer, you probably already know about the currencies found in popular online games, such as World of Warcraft and OSRS, to name a few.

While you won’t make a ton, websites, such as PlayerAuctions.com and PlayerUp.com, let you sell your accounts and/or currency for cash.  You can even try eBay as well.

Like eBay, create an account, list your item and see if anyone wants to buy it.

As of this review, some of the most popular games to consider selling from include the following:

  • RuneScape
  • Overwatch
  • Grand Theft Auto
  • Pokemon GO
  • Clash of Clans
  • EverQuest
  • Fortnite

These were just a few of the many you could sell, so be sure to check out the two sites mentioned prior to see what’s in demand.

Enter a Tournament

If you feel you’re good enough in a particular game that you could beat some of the best, consider entering a tournament on your own and/or even with a group of friends.

Popular tournament websites, such as XYGaming, offers a variety of tournaments you can enter right now, with prizes as high as four to five figures.  is yet another tournament site to check out as well.

Check out the website, see what tournaments are being offered and consider joining one to see if you can win the cash prize.  Most of the game tournaments I looked at paid a cash reward to the top 3 players.

Twitch

Twitch, known for its streams dedicated to video games, is a huge money maker.  That’s if you get big, of course.

Just like YouTube, which I will mention next, it takes a lot of work to succeed on Twitch, but I would never stop you from achieving your dreams of making money while playing games.

Start a stream, start playing a game you usually play and see who wants to subscribe to your channel.  Again, there’s more to it, I know.

Now, as a disclaimer, I’m not too familiar with Twitch, but I do see that a Twitch Partner can make about $250 per 100 subscribers per month.

Even if you made that much, that’s a pretty nice chunk of cash playing a game you want to play.  You can also make money from donations as well.

To learn more about how to succeed on Twitch, I recommend reading a few of these top-rated books on Amazon in regards to Twitch or even watch a few of these low-cost courses on Udemy.

YouTube

This can take quite some time, but if you want to work on your own terms and play the games you want to play, there’s definitely money to be made.  However, it’s much easier said than done as it’s going to take a lot of work.  Let it be known.

In the video game category, most YouTubers make their money often by either providing a walk-through of some sort, tips or just playing the game in general.  The goal here is to be entertaining and answer questions people may have in regards to the game.

Aside from making money through YouTube ads once you garner enough subscribers, you can also promote products through what’s known as affiliate marketing, wherein you can earn a certain percentage for every sale you make.  Brands may reach out to you for a partnership as well.  Honestly, your earning potential is endless.

Again, this isn’t going to come easy nor am I going to act like I know what I’m doing since I haven’t made it big on YouTube.

But, for now, I recommend a few of these highly-rated Udemy courses or even these books to get you started if you’re serious about it.

Podcasting

Don’t want to write or show your face?

Well, you still have options that could make you money, again, in a vertical that will take a lot of work — podcasting.

I’m not an expert in this regard, but much like YouTube and websites, Podcasts can be about anything.  Yes, even video games.

If you feel you could put on an audio show about your favorite games for about 20-60 minutes and take the time to market yourself, there could be money to be made.

From advertising placement to even receiving gifts from advertisers, podcasts aren’t slowing down any time soon.

Again, not an expert, but I recommend you check out some of these highly rated books on Amazon or these low-priced Udemy courses.

Can You Get Paid to Play Video Games?

Absolutely, but this answer greatly depends on how you plan on making your money.

If you just want to download an app and test it, then unfortunately, you won’t make much, but you will get paid, per se.

However, if you start a YouTube/Twitch channel, etc and build a following, then the sky is the limit.  I mean, look at the popular game streamer, Ninja.  He’s projected to be worth $25 million!

The money is there, but it’s like anything.  You will have to work hard to get to the top.

Final Thoughts

Yes, there are ways to make money playing video games, per se, but it’s not going to be much.  I’m talking $5, $10, maybe $20 a month, if that.

While it can be a fun way to test new apps and earn a few bucks, don’t expect a miracle.

In the end, if you’re super passionate about video games, there’s money to be made in tournaments, YouTube and Twitch, but of course, it’s going to take months, maybe even years, before you gain a following and see any sort of return.  This can be a huge downside for some.

For now, I just recommend you ask yourself what you want in terms of making money and how you want to do it.  Just remember that becoming a star online doesn’t come easy!

As always, let me hear your thoughts about playing video games and making money.  Do you have a favorite?  Did you try any of these methods?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

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