If you want to be successful, work shouldn’t be the only productive time in your day. Even leisure and hobbies must bring you closer to your financial goals. Playing online games is not an exception.
While game apps are wildly popular, games to earn side money are much less so. Some don’t believe in their chances or fear the competition. Others simply don’t know where to look. We’re here to change this bias by uncovering twelve legitimate apps to play games for money.
Many great apps provide the possibility to win real money prizes with realistic chances. From bingo to card games and crossword puzzles, you will certainly find something entertaining and profitable.
Is There a Game App That Pays Real Money?
Yes, profitable online games are created as equivalents of legitimate real-life cash prize games, like blackjack, bingo, and others. The only difference is that you can play mobile games whenever you want. It’s an ideal arrangement for casual gamers.
Of course, you will have to qualify for cash rewards. You might need to win in multiplayer tournaments, reach certain goals, watch ads, or bet some of your own money. App Store prizes won’t make you an e-sports millionaire, but it’s significant enough to cover a few bills.
Managing your expectations and playing it safe will already put you ahead of thousands of other players trying to improve their bank account balance. What’s even more important for winning cash rewards is staying consistent.
If you only play games once or twice per month, your chances will be minimal. Creating a habit out of real money playing games is possible only with genuinely fun ones. The list below includes various types for different kinds of players. All that’s left is to try them.
Top 12 Best Game Apps That Pay Real Money
Finding a game that pays money in your preferred app store is no easy feat. Ratings are informative, but many are filled with reviews from players who didn’t know how to use them. The algorithm isn’t your friend either, as the most popular app store games might be too competitive for good cash rewards.Here, we listed the best game apps by considering the reviews, earning potential, and whether they are fun. Many of them will require you to invest some of your money, but we have a separate article for games without investment.
Pawns.app
Pawns.app can be considered a top pick just because it houses dozens of different games that pay real money. You can play any of these games to earn money without investment. Pick the ones you like and get rewarded with gift cards, PayPal cash, and cryptocurrencies. Payouts start from $5.
How to Earn Money:
Earning money on the Pawns.app requires gamers to meet reward conditions. Usually, it includes reaching certain levels or simply spending time in the game. The best strategy is to try out multiple games and see which brings you the most money and joy. Aside from PayPal, Bitcoin, and gift cards, you can also cash out via Venmo, electronic transfer, and Cash App.
Earnings Potential:
Earning around $15 worth of gift cards or cash rewards per month is quite realistic, especially if you mix games with other opportunities in the Pawns.app. Using a few devices to share the internet, play games, and answer survey questions will surely pay at least a couple of bills.
User Experience and Reviews:
Player reviews on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store are as good as they can get in this category. Most users attest to the app legitimately paying out rewards and enjoy the selection of games. Pawns.app has a rating of 4.5 and 4.1 stars on these platforms.“Pawns.app is a global app, which means everyone in the world can use it to make some extra money. The app is completely free to download and use and offers a diverse game catalog including looters, puzzles, shooters, racers, and more. As long as you have an internet connection and a mobile device, you can play Pawns.app Games from anywhere.”
8 Ball Strike
8 Ball Strike is a skill-based game that allows you to participate in multiplayer pool tournaments and win real money. Besides being one of the most popular games that pay real money instantly, 8 Ball Strike is worth it just for the entertainment.
How to Earn Money:
The more you win, the more coins you earn. They can be spent on improving in-game mechanics or cashed out via PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, and other trusted providers. The rest depends on how well you hit the ball with a stick. Trust me, it takes much more skill than it seems.
Earnings Potential:
Your earnings highly depend on your skill, as the rewards come from winning multiplayer tournaments. One event can bring $50 or even more, but you might need to spend your own money for a buy-in. Cashing out without any fees starts from $10.
“Bonus cash is an in-game currency that 8 Ball Strike gives you for free through various rewards or as a bonus for depositing real money. However, you can’t withdraw bonus cash, and if you withdraw real money, you’ll lose all your remaining bonus cash. Instead of wasting it, consider using it to pay entry fees and increase your chances of winning more real cash in tournaments.”
User Experience and Reviews:
The user reviews on the app store for 8 Ball Strike are generally positive, but some users complain about confusing controls. Indeed, there is a steep learning curve. This doesn’t overshadow the game’s good rating on Apple (4.8) and Google Play Store (4.4) though.
Bingo Cash
Bingo Cash is another type of competition that can increase your bank account balance. With its user-friendly interface, multiplayer tournaments, and special challenges, it gives a new twist to the classic game of bingo.
How to Earn Money:
To play Bingo for cash or participate in paid multiplayer tournaments, you’ll need to deposit money. Winning ain’t easy even if you are clever, so it’s recommended to play some free games beforehand. Cashing out options include PayPal, Apple Pay, and Venmo.
Earnings Potential:
The tournament buy-ins vary from $1 to $5, as do the prizes, with the largest one being $30. In theory, there is no ceiling for potential winnings, but It’s unlikely you’ll win more than a few tournaments per day. Feel free to prove me wrong, though.
“Bingo Cash is treated as a gambling app in some states and countries because it asks players to bid their own money to win the prize pool. US states that don’t allow this app include Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, South Dakota, Maine, South Carolina, Montana, and Tennessee. While you can still play free bingo games in these states, you can’t win cash prizes.”
User Experience and Reviews:
The game is well-regarded, with 4.7 stars in the Apple App Store. There are some bad reviews regarding the payout procedure and long wait times (at least 15 days) for the $5 minimum payout.
Blackout Bingo
Yet another bingo game that deserves to be high on our list is Blackout Bingo. This game is just as fun and profitable as Bingo Cash, but we found the bingo games here more fast-paced. It’s worth trying them both from the App Store.
How to Earn Money:
Playing Blackout Bingo with other users will grant you an opportunity to win up to $150. The payouts are generally quite small, but it isn’t difficult to find people who want to play for larger sums.
Earnings Potential:
You can cash out from $10, which is quite high, considering that most games won’t reward you with this sum instantly. The app compensates for this with a wide variety of payout options, such as PayPal, Apple Pay, and even direct deposit.
“Tips to get more points in Blackout Bingo include using the boosters the right way. This includes not letting more than two boosters stack up, using Time Boost boosters right away, saving Double Points boosters, and using boosters to daub the four corners. As you play the game and level up your status, expect to find additional Blackout Bingo boosters.”
User Experience and Reviews:
Blackout Bingo is a trustworthy cash game with a 4.5 star rating A in the Apple App Store. However, its rating is a bit low because of reported crashes and lots of ads.
Bubble Cash
Bubble Cash proves that just about anything online can be a competitive game with cash prizes. It’s a bubble shooting game which, surprisingly, requires quite a bit of skill to master.
How to Earn Money:
After practicing bubble shooting with the free version, you can invest a few bucks to compete with other players. The biggest games with eight players usually have the largest cash prizes, but winning them will require the fastest reaction time.
Earnings Potential:
It’s quite possible to win one small tournament for $30 per week. But you will likely spend the same amount on entry fees (starting from $1) elsewhere. The game is quite competitive, so I recommend playing it only if you enjoy it.
“If you win enough money on Cash Bubble to cash out, you can withdraw them via PayPal. However, keep in mind that you’ll lose all your remaining bonus cash – an in-game currency which can’t be withdrawn. The minimum payout threshold is $5, but reaching it can take some time.”
User Experience and Reviews:
Bubble Cash has 4.6 stars in the Apple App Store, and most reviews attest to it. It’s hard to doubt that Bubble Cash is a legit app that pays out winnings. That is, if you actually manage to win, as some reviewers claim, it gets disproportionately difficult later.
Solitaire Cash
Instead of playing Solitaire against the computer in Windows, you’ll be much better off playing Solitaire Cash online. It’s the same Solitaire game you know and love but with the possibility to win cash from tournaments.
“Although Solitaire Cash is like any other solitaire game, there are a few things that make it different. First, the game is timed, so you have only five minutes to finish it. Second, you’re competing against other real players for the highest score. And finally, you win more points or a time bonus for finishing early.”
How to Earn Money:
Available on the Apple App Store, Solitaire Cash lets you buy into tournaments with as high as $50 and win real money. Cashing out is possible via Apple Pay, PayPal, and other options from $5.
Earnings Potential:
While Solitaire Cash is lots of fun, don’t expect to earn much from it. Most players rarely break even as you lose your buy-in when you start a tournament, and prizes are often lower than what you paid in.
User Experience and Reviews:
The overall rating of Solitaire Cash is great, with over 4.8 stars in the Apple App Store. However, most love this game for the implementation of solitaire and not for earning possibilities.
Solitaire Cube
While you can find multiple apps that let you play solitaire for money, Solitaire Cube stands out by focusing on real-time, head-to-head tournaments with other players right from the very beginning. You can find it on the App Store and download it for free.
“In Solitaire Cube, there are usually 2-4 players per tournament. Your goal is to beat the other players by getting a higher score than they do. All players have to solve the same deck, and your scores are based on how well you do in your respective games.”
How to Earn Money:
As soon as you pick an avatar, you’ll be taken right to your first Solitaire Cube game. Even though you can play free tournaments, you can only earn Z coins. If you want to earn cash, you need to deposit money.
Earning Potential:
The lowest entry fee is $0.60, but the prize is also low – $1. So if you want higher earnings, you need to deposit a lot more, which can be risky. The minimum payout threshold is $5, but for withdrawals under $10, you’ll pay a fee of $1.50. You can request a payout through paper check or PayPal.
User Experiences and Reviews:
Most users say the gameplay is fun, and the fact that you’re competing against real people makes it even more exciting. However, the lack of tutorials, poor explanation of features, and the dark theme are some of the things that bother the majority.
21 Blitz
21 Blitz takes a step further from ordinary Solitaire to blend it with elements of blackjack. It creates a unique mode for short tournaments to win real-life money and prizes.
How to Earn Money:
The premise of 21 Blitz is simple – you play some free games to practice and then can invest a couple of dollars to join cash games and compete against others. Entry fees range from a couple of cents to a few dollars.
Earnings Potential:
Multiplayer tournaments in 21 Blitz are very fast and happen often, but they aren’t very profitable. The largest payout we’ve seen is $60, but, on average, they are closer to a couple of bucks.
“You can withdraw your earned cash via the same payment method you’ve used to deposit money into your account – either PayPal or credit card. However, if you withdraw more than what you deposited, you’ll get a mailed check if you’re in the US or a PayPal payment if you’re located elsewhere. If you withdraw less than $10, you’ll be charged $1.50, so you may want to wait.”
User Experience and Reviews:
The 21 Blitz has only 3.4 stars on the Google Play Store and some bad reviews of people complaining about missing winnings and confusing game rules. While the concept of blending blackjack with Solitaire is fun, it doesn’t seem to be profitable to most players.
Bingo Clash
Bingo Clash is another bingo game where you can earn money. It’s available on the Apple App Store and has many active players.
How to Earn Money:
Instead of multiplayer tournaments, Bingo Clash offers one of the best one-on-one bingo experiences. The app is also heavy on various in-game bonuses that can increase your winnings.
Earnings Potential:
There is no ceiling for winnings in Bingo Clash, just as much as players are willing to bet. Most tournaments are only worth a couple of dollars, but allegedly, some players are earning hundreds per week via Apple Pay, Venmo, American Express, Visa, or PayPal.
“You can withdraw your Bingo Clash winnings through PayPal after reaching the $5 minimum threshold. However, you can’t withdraw your bonus cash. You can only use it to play more games. Once you click the Withdraw option, the app will inform you how much actual cash and how much bonus cash you have. Withdrawals under $10 are subject to a $1 processing fee.”
User Experience and Reviews:
There are some serious allegations in online forums and app store reviews about the algorithm being biased. It’s best to try Bingo Clash together with other mentioned bingo money-playing apps that pay just to be safe.
Big Buck Hunter: Marksman
Big Buck Hunter is a simple-to-play, hard-to-master shooting game with some real possibilities to get money into your bank account. It’s one of the most established games in this genre and definitely worth a look.
How to earn money:
You play a hunter who shoots bucks, deer, and, occasionally, other animals or enemies. The better your aim, the more in-game points you earn. Later on, they can be used for cash matches or cashed out via PayPal or Apple Pay.
“Big Buck Hunter pays real cash if you deposit your own money to play. However, it usually takes a long time to accumulate a balance worth withdrawing and up to six weeks to receive your funds. You can withdraw your earnings up to the amount you deposited and get them back the way you paid them – PayPal or credit card. For larger amounts, you’ll get a paper check.”
Earnings potential:
Most cash games include a prize of around $35 dollars, but better marksman can aim for more paying ones. Unfortunately, the game seems to be filled with veteran shooters who win most of the prizes, so you shouldn’t expect much winnings.
User experience and reviews
The game is very fun, and the developer pays the winnings. However, there is a sentiment in the App Store reviews that Big Buck Hunter is dominated by extremely skilled players. Similar games, such as Bubble Cash, seem to have better chances of winning.
Cash Giraffe
If you’re looking for a game app that pays real money just for playing without paying upfront, Cash Giraffe is worth adding to your list. It’s available for both Android and iOS users.
How to Earn Money:
You play simple games and complete tasks to earn gems, which can then be redeemed for cash. The app recommends different games such as Bingo Blitz, Coin Master, Family Island, and various card games.
“Note that you’ll need to enable app usage tracking in order to use the app. (Otherwise, it won’t know what games you’re playing or for how long.)”
Earnings Potential:
How much money you earn mostly depends on how long you play. Some users report earning about $0.50 every five hours, and others up to $8.75 a day. You can redeem your gems for PayPal cash or a gift card once you reach $5.
User Experience and Reviews:
Cash Giraffe has high ratings on both Google Play (4.4 stars) and the App Store (4.6 stars). Users like the variety of games, but complain about a recent update that reduced the value of gems. Now, you have to earn more gems to redeem the same amount of cash as before.
Wealth Words
Wealth Words is filled with various wordplaying games, such as crosswords and Wordle. Currently, available only on the Apple App Store, it gives the possibility for users to play games for real cash.
How to Earn Money:
Earning money will require you to purchase tokens for buy-ins in word puzzle games. Winning ain’t easy, but it’s possible if you are good with words.
Earnings Potential:
Most paid games pay out modest amounts of $1 to $5, while the minimum cashout is $210. Therefore, cashing out on Wealth Words via PayPal is difficult compared to other games on our list.
“To be able to withdraw your earnings after reaching the minimum payout threshold of $210, Wealth Worlds asks you to go through a KYC (Know Your Customer) process. This includes submitting a photo of any government-issued ID to verify your identity, such as your passport or driver’s license.”
User Experience and Reviews:
The app does hit a sweet spot for some wordplay enthusiasts, but the general consensus is quite negative. Many users complain about lack of time, bugs, and inconvenient design. Still, Wealth Words takes a unique place in the game apps that pay category.
How to Maximize Your Earnings
If you want to make money playing games on your phone, here are a few tips that can help you get the most of your time and effort:
- Use multiple apps – don’t stick just to one game or app but use a few to increase your chances to earn
- Take advantage of all earning opportunities on the app – for example, you can play games on Pawns.app while sharing your unused bandwidth in the background for even more cash
- Play consistently – complete tasks and tournaments whenever you can and make sure you don’t deposit more than you can win
- Take advantage of bonuses and promotions – keep an eye on your game apps for rewards, bonuses, and limited-time events to boost your earnings
- Track your time vs. reward – focus on games where your playtime gives the best return
- Stay informed about updates – changes like gem devaluation can affect your earnings so you might need to adjust your strategy
Alternative Side Hustles to Consider
Game apps might not be for everyone, but it’s more profitable to diversify your approach. Here are some of the most popular and best-paying side hustles to improve your bank account balance.
- Paid online surveys might be the most popular side hustle on the internet. You simply need to register and answer questionnaires for various organizations. Profitability might depend on your demographics, but you’ll find the best-paying surveys on the Pawns.app.
- Watching online videos can be as profitable as playing games that pay. All you really need is your attention, which is monetized by watching ads on apps like MyPoints or tagging video types on platforms like Netflix Tagger.
- Internet sharing apps, such as Pawns.app, help users lend their internet access and IP address to others. They get to bypass geo-restrictions, and you are compensated for each GB shared. All you need is an internet-sharing app from the app store.
- Microtasks are platforms that pay participants for completing easy but rather mundane tasks. tasks like answering emails, entering data, or preparing spreadsheets are commonly posted on Clickworker and similar platforms.
- Freelancing platforms are a step further from microtasks, as you need marketable skills to sell. Websites like Upwork and Fiverr are the best places for Freelancers to find work and make money while setting their own hours.
Conclusion
So there you have it – twelve legitimate money-playing games you can start right now and some other side hustles on top. All of it can be done on any smartphone with an app store and an internet connection. There’s no excuse not to earn money while you play games.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you really earn money playing game apps that pay real money?
Yes, you can earn real cash by playing games on your device. Some games pay rewards straight to your account balance as soon as you finish a game, complete a task, or win a tournament, while others give points, in-game coins, or gems, which can later be redeemed for cash or gift cards.
Are game apps that pay real money legit and safe to use?
It depends on the app. There are many legit apps that pay money for playing games and care about the user’s privacy, such as Pawns.app and the rest of the games on our list. However, there are also many scams that promise unrealistically big rewards and never pay or ask for unnecessary personal information. So always check reviews, verify payment methods, and stick to well-known, trusted platforms to stay safe.
Do I need to pay to earn money from game apps?
While most game apps require depositing cash so you can enter paid tournaments and win money, there are also others that let you earn money without paying anything. Pawns.app offers a wide selection of mobile games you can play for free and earn cash as soon as you complete the in-game tasks or missions.
How much can I realistically earn from these apps?
Once again, it depends on the app and how you use it. Your earnings are generally affected by the game or tournament you choose, how well and how long you play, and the app’s reward system.
What is the minimum payout and how can I withdraw my earnings?
Each game app has its own minimum payout threshold, but most range between $5 and $10. Once you have earned the required amount, you can request a payout through the payment method that works best for you.
