24 Free Games That Pay Real Money

Scrambly takes the top spot on our list due to how much its users seem to enjoy using it. There’s quite a bit of chatter about it in online side hustle communities, with people saying it’s a good way to earn a little extra pocket money in your downtime. Scrambly’s users especially like how you don’t have to meet a high minimum payment threshold to cash out (as you do on many other apps).

What you need to know about Scrambly

• Scope: Scrambly focuses on “easy-to-play games that reward you for your time,” but it also features other ways to earn (e.g., testing non-gaming apps, signing up for offers, and taking surveys).
• Gameplay: Scrambly offers 120+ games, including both classics and new offerings.
• Availability: This app is available in mobile (Android) and web-based (browser) versions.

Mistplay is one of the most popular GPT apps in the world, and it’s often people’s first stop when they want to get paid for playing games. Recent user reports suggest the app currently offers more games and pays better than some of its competitors, landing it second place on our list this month.

What you need to know about Mistplay

• Scope: Mistplay is focused primarily on games (in contrast to some of the other apps on this list, which also offer surveys and other types of tasks).
• Gameplay: All kinds of games are featured on the platform, ranging from puzzle games to adventure games.
• Availability: Mistplay is only available as an app for Android devices.
• Other notes: You might find that your earnings start strong and decline over time. If that happens, you might be able to jog them by switching to a different game.

Like many of the apps on this list, MyPoints has a wide range of tasks you can complete to earn rewards, including surveys, games, offers, and more (with surveys usually providing the best earning opportunities).

Users report that in recent months, they’ve generally earned more on MyPoints than on its more famous sister app, Swagbucks.

What you need to know about MyPoints

• Scope: Playing games is just one of many different “microtasks” you can complete on MyPoints (with others including taking paid surveys, completing offers, performing online searches, and scanning receipts for money).
• Gameplay: MyPoints features all kinds of games—strategy games, puzzles, word games, card games, and more.
• Availability: Available to use on your desktop or iOS or Android devices.

Freecash is another widely discussed app on online forums like Reddit. The app has a mixed bag of reviews, with some satisfied with their earnings and others complaining about cashing out issues.

Freecash guarantees you a $5 signup bonus and offers you a chance to earn $500 if you’re among the first to earn $5,000 in a given month on the platform.

What you need to know about Freecash

• Scope: Get paid to test games and apps, as well as to take surveys.
• Gameplay: Freecash promises “the best casual games, MMORPGs, sports games, and just about every other genre available.”
• Availability: As noted, the app is only available for Android, but on desktop devices, you can also use the web version.

Cashyy is a free gaming platform with a low threshold for cashing out your earnings. It’s possible that they sometimes offer a small welcome bonus for new users, although they don’t guarantee that, and it might not always be available.

What you need to know about Cashyy

• Scope: Cashyy is focused on games, but you can also get paid for testing apps, games, and surveys.
• Gameplay: Cashyy promises casual, strategy, action, puzzle, adventure, and arcade games, plus many more types.
• Availability: Only available for Android devices.

Cash Giraffe is operated by the same company that runs Cashyy. If you’re a fan of that platform but have hit a point where your earnings are starting to trail off—a common complaint with these apps—it might be worth giving Cashyy’s sister platform a try.

What you need to know about Cash Giraffe

• Scope: Cash Giraffe is focused on games, but you can also get paid for testing apps, games, and surveys.
• Gameplay: Cash Giraffe is from the same makers as Cashyy, so there is likely some overlap in the games available, which include arcade, adventure, casual, strategic games, and more.
• Availability: Only available for Android devices

Gamesville is a venerable gaming platform that features the memorable tagline “Wasting Your Time Since ’96.” You can find games in all sorts of genres on this site, although as noted below, there’s no app—just the website.

Be aware that some of the games advertised on this platform might be gambling games (e.g., with virtual slot machines or bingo tournaments, etc.), which we’ll cover in detail in the second half of this article. Be on your guard if you try out any of these, and remember that there are no guarantees in gambling. Don’t fork over any cash you aren’t prepared to lose.

What you need to know about Gamesville

• Scope: Gamesville focuses entirely on games, with no other tasks available.
• Gameplay: Gamesville features various games, including multiplayer online games and online versions of classic games.
• Availability: There’s only a web version of the site, with no app available.

This is another gaming app, but with a twist: in addition to earning money by playing games, you can also earn by writing and chatting about them (i.e., by participating in Gamehag’s online community).

What you need to know about Gamehag

• Scope: Gamehag is mainly for games, but as noted, they also say they’ll pay you for other tasks, such as writing news, articles, and even messages on their forums.
• Gameplay: Gamehag offers almost every type of game, from war games and RPGs to arcade games, puzzles, and mini-games.
• Availability: You can use Gamehag on your PC or download the Android app.

Swagbucks is one of the most popular microtasking and cashback apps. Games aren’t its primary focus, but you can still earn a few bucks here and there by trying them out.

Note that Swagbucks may offer to pay you to test gambling games. We don’t recommend spending money on these, and you don’t need to spend anything to earn payouts from Swagbucks itself.

What you need to know about Swagbucks

• Scope: Like MyPoints, Swagbucks features games, plus many other different microtasks (e.g., surveys).
• Gameplay: Swagbucks also has a wide variety of games on offer.
• Availability: Available to use on your desktop or to download for iOS or Android devices.

InboxDollars is owned by the same company that operates Swagbucks. Here again, be on the lookout for gambling games. These may try to trick you into spending money, and the best way to ensure you end up in the black is to either stick to their unpaid features or to simply only try games that are 100% free.

What you need to know about InboxDollars

• Scope: InboxDollars is one more microtasking app that features games, plus many other ways to earn (e.g. surveys and offers).
• Gameplay: Like Swagbucks and MyPoints, InboxDollars features all kinds of games.
• Availability: Available to use on your desktop or to download for iOS or Android devices.

The remaining apps on this list won’t pay you just to play them. However, they will give you the chance to compete in tournaments or gamble for money.

Be very careful about doing this. Gambling isn’t something that most people consider a legitimate side hustle, and it comes with obvious risks—as we alluded to a few times above, you could very easily lose more than you earn.

If you want to compete for cash, we suggest sticking to tournaments that allow you to pay the entry fee with (free) credits from the app. These are often referred to as “freeroll” tournaments, and many of the apps listed below feature them.

Blackout Bingo is an app from the mobile gaming platform Skillz. This company also offers several of the other apps listed below, and if you try out more than one of them, you can use the same app and apply your credits (or cash) toward whichever games you play.

What you need to know about Blackout Bingo

• Gameplay: The game is essentially virtual bingo with several extra features (e.g., “Boosts,” which allow you to score additional points).
• Availability: Available for iOS and Samsung Galaxy Android mobile devices (but not other Android devices).

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

In certain states, you can’t legally play many of the tournament-based apps in this list for money (although you’ll generally still be allowed to play them for free). That’s because those states put stricter restrictions on activities that they consider online gambling.

For instance, you can’t play Blackout Bingo for cash in:

• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Louisiana
• South Dakota

This is another offering from Skillz. It allows you to compete in pool tournaments against both real (human) players and bots.

What you need to know about Pool Payday

• Gameplay: As its name suggests, Pool Payday is based on billiards (pool). You can either play in real time, in which case you and a real-life opponent will take turns taking shots, or you can both take turns to run the table and try to rack up the highest score possible.
• Availability: Available for iOS and Samsung Galaxy Android mobile devices (but not other Android devices).

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

Pool Payday cash tournaments are prohibited in:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Montana
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee

Dominoes Gold is a gambling app from the company Grey Square Games, hosted on the Skillz platform. Like all Skillz games, it encourages players to deposit real cash, although it’s technically possible to earn free “credits” and use them instead.

What you need to know about Dominoes Gold

• Gameplay: Dominoes Gold is based on the classic board game.
• Availability: Available for iOS and Samsung Galaxy Android mobile devices (but not other Android devices).

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

You can’t play Dominoes Gold for cash if you live in:

• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Louisiana
• New Jersey
• South Dakota

21 Blitz incorporates elements of both blackjack and solitaire. It’s made by a studio called Tether Games and is available via the Skillz platform.

What you need to know about 21 Blitz

• Gameplay: Again, 21 Blitz is a card game that describes itself as “blackjack meets solitaire.”
• Availability: Downloadable for iOS devices and Samsung Galaxy Android devices.

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

You can’t play 21 Blitz for money if you’re in:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Indiana
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Montana
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee

Solitaire Cube is another solitaire-based gambling app (also produced by Tether). It’s based on the three-draw version.

What you need to know about Solitaire Cube

• Gameplay: Solitaire Cube is based on the classic card game solitaire.
• Availability: Available for iOS and Samsung Galaxy Android mobile devices (but not other Android devices).

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

You can’t play this game for money if you’re in:

• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Louisiana
• South Dakota

Bingo Clash is produced by AviaGames, and is offered on the mobile gaming platform Pocket7Games. It’s possible to earn money by playing bingo by using this app, although it’s worth noting that many people have alleged the game stacks the decks against players by pitting players against bots and otherwise tweaking the odds to make it very hard to win.

What you need to know about Bingo Clash

• Gameplay: Bingo Clash is based on the classic game of bingo, but with extra features (e.g., power ups, which help you to earn more points). It also has numerous bonus tasks and minigames you can use to earn in-app credits.
• Availability: Available for iOS and Android mobile devices.

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

You can’t play Bingo Clash for real money if you live in:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Louisiana
• Montana
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Vermont

You also can’t play for cash in US territories, including Puerto Rico.

Unlike the other gambling apps we’ve listed, Bubble Buzz is an arcade-style game and not a variation on a classic board or bar game. It also comes from Avia (which, along with Skillz and another company called Papaya, is one of the biggest names in this space).

What you need to know about Bubble Buzz

• Gameplay: Bubble Buzz is a bit like an old-style arcade game. Players have to shoot as many bubbles as they can before the timer runs out. It also has many bonus tasks and minigames you can use to earn in-app credits.
• Availability: Available for iOS and Android mobile devices.

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

You can’t play Bubble Buzz for money in the following states:

• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Louisiana
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Vermont

Cash games are also banned in US territories, including Puerto Rico.

Solitaire Clash—which isn’t to be confused with its competitors, Solitaire Cube and Solitaire Cash—also makes it possible to earn money by playing the classic one-man card game.

What you need to know about Solitaire Clash

• Gameplay: Solitaire Clash is, as the name suggests, another tournament-based version of solitaire. The app also has numerous bonus tasks and minigames you can use to earn in-app credits.
• Availability: Available for iOS and Android mobile devices.

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

You can’t play Solitaire Clash for money in the following states:

• Indiana
• Maine
• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Indiana
• Louisiana
• Maine
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Vermont

Cash games are also banned in US territories, including Puerto Rico.

As with Pool Payday, you can play billiards for money on this app. It’s less aggressive than some of its competitors about getting you to gamble real cash, although it’s still easier to lose money than win it when you play.

What you need to know about 8 Ball Strike

• Gameplay: 8 Ball Strike is another virtual pool game.
• Availability: Available for iOS and Android mobile devices.

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

Cash games are banned in the following states:

• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Louisiana
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Vermont

Cash games are also unavailable in US territories, including Puerto Rico.

Pocket7Games offers two bingo-based games; this is one of them. Overall, it’s quite similar to both of its competitors, and features similar earning potential.

What you need to know about Bingo Tour

• Gameplay: Like the two other bingo-based games on this list, Bingo Tour features virtual bingo tournaments with a few extras to spice things up (e.g., power-ups for scoring bonus points). In addition to the bingo games themselves, there many more bonus features and minigames to help you earn in-app credits.
• Availability: Available for iOS and Samsung Galaxy Android mobile devices.

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

Bingo Tour has no cash games in the following states:

• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Louisiana
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Vermont

Cash games are also off the menu in US territories, including Puerto Rico.

Solitaire Cash is, believe it or not, a different offering than the similarly named Solitaire Clash. However, the experience of playing it is nearly the same (broadly speaking, even gambling apps from different makers tend to be more alike than they are different).

What you need to know about Solitaire Cash

• Gameplay: As you might expect, Solitaire Cash is based on the card game solitaire. Besides solitaire tournaments, the app also has some minigames and other bonus features for earning in-app credits.
• Availability: Available for Samsung Galaxy Android and iOS devices.

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

You can’t play Solitaire Cash for money if you live in:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• South Carolina
• Montana
• South Dakota

Bubble Cash is a second bubble-popping arcade game, this time from the maker Papaya.

What you need to know about Bubble Cash

• Gameplay: Bubble Cash is exactly what it sounds like: an arcade-style bubble shooter game.
• Availability: You can download the Bubble Cash app for Apple and Samsung Galaxy Android devices.

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

You can’t play Bubble Cash for money if you live in:

• Arizona
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• South Carolina

On the off chance that you aren’t tired of bingo games yet, Papaya has still another for you to try. It’s technically possible to earn payouts as high as $43 on this app, although, as with the others we’ve listed, doing so isn’t terribly likely.

What you need to know about Bingo Cash

• Gameplay: Bingo Cash is very similar to Bingo Clash. Like its main competitor, it features many bonus tasks and minigames you can complete to earn in-app credits.
• Availability: You can download the Bingo Cash app for Apple and Samsung Galaxy Android devices.

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

You are not allowed to play for cash if you’re in:

• Arizona
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• South Carolina

This is another oddball game that exists at the intersection of two popular card games, blackjack and solitaire. If you’re a fan of 21 Blitz, it might be worth giving this a try, too, although it’s best to keep your expectations modest.

What you need to know about 21 Cash

• Gameplay: 21 Cash is similar to the Skillz game 21 Blitz, which is to say that it resembles a cross between blackjack and solitaire.
• Availability: You can download the 21 Cash app for Apple and Samsung Galaxy Android devices.

Are there any states where you can’t play for money?

You can’t play 21 Cash for real money if you live in:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• South Carolina
• Montana
• South Dakota

Here are some considerations you should bear in mind when you’re looking for ways to make money with online games.

• Manage your expectations: Although you can earn money by playing online games, as we’ve repeatedly cautioned, you can’t earn a lot. Usually, you won’t be able to make more than a few dollars here and there with this side hustle, so don’t expect to pay your rent with it.
• Some games get less lucrative the more you play: For many of the games on this list, we’ve seen reviews alleging that the longer the users played, the less they earned. This is something to watch out for—if you find that you’re earning less and less as you go along, you may want to switch between apps or games to ramp up your earnings.
• Be careful about spending money to make money: Just to reiterate one final time, we recommend choosing free GPT apps over gambling and tournament-based apps. We’ve tested many of those apps, and while we had fun, our experience suggests that you’re likely to end up losing more money than you earn.
• Watch out for scams: Not only is it possible to lose money playing legit apps, you also have to watch out for scams. Do your research before you download anything. Check out reviews by users on the App Store, the Samsung Galaxy store, and the Google Play store, as well as on discussion platforms like Reddit.

If you’re unsure about using the gaming apps we listed above, consider exploring the different ways to make money playing video games, such as livestreaming your gaming sessions, testing video games, or participating in competitive gaming.

It’s possible to make money with the apps on this list, but it isn’t the most efficient way to earn. If you’re open to a more conventional side hustle, explore the lists below, several of which feature gigs that are fun in their own right.