Side hustles have taken the world by storm since the pandemic, and many people have been looking for ways to be productive and earn a few bucks in their spare time. Today, we are introduced to games that pay their users to play, and they are a better way to keep yourself entertained without having to worry about not having a productive time. Some games that can get you started are Swagbucks, Lucktastic, Solitaire Cash, Bubble Cash, Mistplay, 21 Blitz, and Bingo Cash.
Of these options, Swagbucks is the best game to try that pays cash because of its reputation as a legit cash-making game and the many options within the app to make extra cash while using it.
Playing games is an entertaining way to relieve stress and socialize with others. One thing about games, though, is they can be addictive—before you know it, you're spending hours trying to complete a quest and spend the whole day without being productive. The good news is that some applications allow you to play games and earn real money in the process, so you can enjoy yourself and still have money entering your bank account at the same time. This post will highlight some of the best apps that pay you to play games this 2023.
Best Apps That Pay You To Play Games
After reviewing dozens of options and comparing their features, the five best apps that pay you to play games are:
- Swagbucks
- Lucktastic
- Solitaire Cash
- Bubble Cash
- Mistplay
- 21 Blitz
- Bingo Cash
Let's look at each one in turn.
#1 Swagbucks
Swagbucks is an online rewards program best known for its surveys that allow people to win cash and other prizes. However, only a few people know you can also play games through the application and earn SB points convertible to cash and various rewards. Swagbucks has a list of games that users can play to accumulate SB points, and here are some of the most played:
- Wheel of Fortune
- Solitaire Ruh
- Block Trail
- Scrabble Cubes
- Pop & Plumber
- Swago (a bingo-inspired game)
Aside from playing their in-app games, Swagbucks also gives additional points to users who will download their recommended games and play or complete several quests. App users can start cashing out their rewards from as little as $1.
Features
- No minimum withdrawal amount.
- Sign-up bonus of $5-$10 depending on preliminary activities you complete
- Earn extra SB points for particular Swagbucks tasks
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Users have multiple options to gain SB points | The payout isn’t great. Earning a decent amount of money requires long hours and very hard work |
| Cash outs can be done as long as you have at least $1 worth of SB points in your account | The app sometimes does not recognize gameplays that qualify for SB points |
| Relatively low age requirement (13 years old) to sign up for an account and begin earning |
#2 Lucktastic
Lucktastic is a games app available for both android and apple devices, and its main feature is that it offers free daily scratch tickets the company claims to have a grand prize of $10,000 for any lucky scratcher who plays the game. Lucktastic is free to download and play, and new scratch games are added daily for players to try out. Aside from the scratch cards, Lucktastic also has Lucktastic Trivia, which has a set of 12 trivia questions players can answer to win more prizes.
In addition to winning prizes through scratch cards, players can accumulate tokens through playing games, and they can convert these tokens to gift cards from major brands such as Amazon, Burger King, and Gamestop. Players may redeem rewards through gift cards, checks, or Visa prepaid cards.
Features
- Daily free scratch cards
- Trivia games for additional tokens
- Sweepstakes contests with various prizes and tokens as prizes
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Scratch cards refresh daily, so chances of winning are still high every day | Players complain that it’s difficult to redeem rewards because gift cards are often out of stock |
| Has a VIP program that grants players extra freebies and chances to earn more tokens | Too many ads that hinder gameplay |
| You don’t need coins to begin scratching tickets |
3. Solitaire Cash
Solitaire Cash is the number-one card game that pays its users to play games. It's a legitimate, free-to-play application that doesn't require players to pay before installing, and it's rated 4.6 out of 5 stars in the App Store from over 200 thousand reviews.
Solitaire Cash requires its players to have earned at least 1,200 gems to be able to play games for cash prizes. This means you'll first have to play a few games for free before qualifying for games that'll let you earn real money.
Solitaire Cash has paid tournaments that can let you play by depositing as low as $4, with a chance to win $70. To start playing, you can download the application from the App Store and sign up for an account.
After that, you'll be required to create an avatar and unique username and complete a tutorial. When all these steps are done, and you already have enough gems to start entering paid tournaments, you can now play to earn and ultimately cash out your rewards.
Solitaire Cash currently supports cashouts via PayPal or Apple Pay, with a minimum amount of $5 to start cashing out. There is virtually no risk in playing this game apart from the money you deposit to enter some paid tournaments.
Features
- XP meter to unlock new prizes for every tournament entered
- Multiplayer games that allow players to match with similarly-skilled players to play
- Solo and multiplayer tournaments which can have up to 10 participants
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Potential to earn as much as $83 in a few minutes | Cash tournaments are not available in many areas (AZ, AR, IN, IA, LA, ME, MD, SC, MT & SD) |
| Free roll tournaments that require no cash in to earn money | Cash tournaments played by multiple players will need to be accomplished by all before reaping rewards |
| Additional prizes based on the prize calendar |
4. Bubble Cash
Bubble Cash is a free, play-to-earn game that allows users to use their bubble shooting skills to earn prizes. It is currently ranked #9 in the App Store for casino games and has a rating of 4.5 stars from over eighty thousand users. Like other casino games, Bubble Cash requires you to bet cash in some of its paid tournaments to start winning cash. Depending on how much you deposit, you can earn rewards as high as $60 for each game, and there are also prizes for the second and third-best players.
Bubble Cash gives players three hearts or lives for every round they play. Every time you don't successfully clear bubbles, you lose a heart. If you lose all three hearts, the game will add another layer of bubbles and restore three hearts to continue playing.
The winner for each bubble tournament is decided by comparing the participants' scores, and whoever gets to clear the board of bubbles and accumulate the highest points will take home the prize.
To cash out your rewards, you can do it via Paypal or Apple Pay, and there's no minimum amount of prize required to cash out, so you can withdraw money anytime or just let your rewards sit and cash out later.
Features
- Four game modes–Gems games, Freeroll, Limited time, and Paid games, all of which have different prize pools and requirements to participate
- Levelling system that provides more options to earn experience and gems with each unlocked level
- Winner podium that splits cash prize among the three highest pointers
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| You don’t have to be the highest pointer to win a cash reward | Cash tournaments are not available in many areas (AZ, AR, IA, LA, MD, & SC) |
| Bet as low as $1 to start earning | Requires you to be at least 18 years old before qualifying for a tournament |
| Multiple game modes with varying mechanics and prize pools |
5. Mistplay
Mistplay is a free-to-play application that works as a platform for gamers to play different games and earn money. Comparatively, it functions like a console where you can download and play games within the interface and accumulate points that can be converted to cash.
The key to taking full advantage of Mistplay is having a streak of gaming performance and accumulating points as you try various games through the app. They have a point system that is different from other games, as it is broken down into different types of points:
- Units — in-app points that are traded in exchange for gift cards
- GXPs — Game Experience Points, which you gain by consistently playing a game
- PXPs — Player Experience Points, which depend on your profile ranking. Higher PXPs provide more opportunities to earn higher GXPs and improve your Mistplay profile
Mistplay's games come in three categories, strategy, single-player, and card games. The available games vary depending on the user's location, but some of the available games include:
- Slotmania
- Solitaire
- Pirate Kings
- King of Avalon: Dragon War
Additionally, Mistplay is also working on a Mistplay Status program, which is a tier system that will enable players to earn more points by making in-app purchases and consistently using the app. All users will begin with bronze status, but continuous playing can grant them a Silver, Gold, or Platinum status that can help them earn up to 1.25x more of the total units they earn for each gameplay.
Features
- Welcome bonus of 200 points for new users and 100 points for successful referrals
- Contests within games that have prizes as high as 10,000 points
- Redeemable ‘Mistcodes,' which can be redeemed for additional units
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Multiple ways to earn points and cash rewards | It might take some time before you can earn enough points to cash out |
| Many different games to play within the user interface | Some games may not be available depending on your location |
| Higher chances of earning more points as you continue using the application |
6. 21 Blitz
21 Blitz is a card game that combines Solitaire and Blackjack. It's available for Android and Apple devices and, like all the other games discussed on this list, it allows users to earn money while playing the card game and collecting their in-game virtual currency, called Z coins. After downloading and creating an account for 21 Blitz, players will be welcomed with a few Z coins and practice games to gain traction on how the game is best enjoyed. 21 Blitz comes with four different modes:
- Practice — Players play with similarly-skilled players for a chance to win Z coins, tickets, and League medals.
- Head-to-Head — Players compete with other players. It involves depositing cash to win cash prizes, tickets, and League medals.
- Brackets — Multiplayer tournaments with a chance to win cash, tickets, and League medals.
- Events — Participate in events played by other players to win cash prizes, tickets, and other products.
While the description in the App Store says that users aged 17 years and above can download the game, you have to be at least 18 years old before qualifying for a paid tournament. Additionally, the amount of prize money you can win for each game is correlated to how much you deposit, so you can cash in as low as 60 cents for a game that will give you $1 if you win, but you can also risk as high as $260 for a chance to win up to $425. You will need a minimum deposit of $10 in your 21 Blitz account to make a successful cash-in, which is possible through several avenues like PayPal, Apple Pay, and credit cards. On the other hand, you can withdraw your funds at any time using the same platforms.
Features
- Fun game modes that offer variety and different prizes
- Fast-paced games that take a maximum of 3 minutes to complete
- Skillz technology ensures that players are matched against other gamers of the same skill level
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Each game takes only a few minutes to finish, so you can play multiple games to win more | Earning cash may be difficult and require a lot of games to accumulate enough points |
| Users can bet as low as 60 cents to start winning money | Cash tournaments are not available in some areas (AZ, AR, CT, DE, IL, IN, LA, ME, MT, SC, SD, and TN) |
| You get to play both Solitaire and Blackjack in a single interface |
7. Bingo Cash
Bingo Cash is among the top-rated casino games in the App Store, and it is a free-to-play game that allows users to play free bingo games and enter cash tournaments to win cash prizes. It’s a fast-paced game that is best suited for players who are fond of playing bingo, but even new players can grow to love the game because of the helpful tutorial it provides before they can participate in paid tournaments.
Because the game tries to preserve the traditional way of playing bingo, where you must fill out the card rows faster than your competitors, much of the key to winning and earning more of its in-game currency called gems is concentrated on who gets to daub a matching number the fastest. Each game can be completed within 2 minutes, and players can acquire a few boosters to help them take the win:
- Wild Daub — grants players the power to daub a random number in their board
- Double Score — doubles the user’s score for the next 10 seconds of a game
- Bonus time — additional 10 seconds to play the game
- Pick-A-Ball — grants the player the right to choose the next ball to be called from the options
Bingo Cash only currently supports payouts via PayPal, with a minimum withdrawal of $5. Regarding their paid games, each player can bet as low as $1 for a game with a prize pool of $7.
Features:
- Several game modes that require different entry fees and have different prizes at stake.
- Daily rewards that grant players extra gems aside from playing bingo games.
- Game boosters for higher chances of winning more points.
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Players can bet as low as $1 and win up to $3 for basic cash tournaments | Payouts can only be done via PayPal, and you have to pay a transaction fee of $1 for every withdrawal |
| Keeps the traditional method of playing bingo which is helpful for long-time players of the game | In-app ads are bothersome and may disrupt gaming momentum |
| You can play without betting any cash and still win cash prizes |
The Final Verdict
Playing online or mobile games is no longer a waste of time. Gamers can now use their favourite hobby as a side hustle to earn extra income while they enjoy doing what they love most. The previously discussed apps are only seven of the hundreds that let you earn money by playing games, which is great if you have some time to spare.
However, you must also remember that these games are far from an alternative to an actual job and are unlikely to become a main source of income unless you can commit to playing long hours with each game. Even so, it’ll be hard to cover things like rent on these apps alone.
That said, the app we recommend most to make money playing games is Swagbucks. It has a wide variety of games to play, and there are more options to earn money besides playing games, like filling out surveys. There are also multiple withdrawal options, and no minimum amount is required to cash out.
Apps That Pay You To Play Games FAQs
Do cash games really pay?
Yes, most cash games pay real money. However, this is not the case for every cash game out there because some games prove to be scams that rip players off. That said, the games listed above are all legit and pay real money, so they are all worth trying.
How do cash games earn money?
Cash games earn money from games by showing ads. Other apps like Swagbucks also earn from affiliate commissions, where players' in-app purchases generate additional income. Finally, in the case of other games like Bingo Cash, where players bet against each other, the company keeps a part of the bet money.
How do I withdraw money from real cash-paying games?
Players of cash-paying games can withdraw their money through several means, but the most common way is through PayPal. It is also common for games to issue gift cards as a form of payment, in which case the choices vary depending on a specific game’s partnered brands.
