16 Legit Games That Pay Real Money (+6 We No Longer Recommend)

I love mobile games. I can play them while I'm waiting for a doctor's appointment, watching a TV show, or when I'm putting off doing something useful like vacuuming. I especially love them when they help me earn a few bucks in cold, hard cash prizes.

There are three main ways to earn or win real money with mobile game apps.

1. Gaming rewards apps: The first option is to use apps that pay you to play games and complete other tasks, no matter how good you are. These reward apps usually have a variety of games for you to choose from, and they'll monitor your gameplay, paying you based on how long you play or how far you advance in the game. You don't need to deposit money to play or to make money, though occasionally, you might be incentivized to make an (optional) in-app purchase. Check out our gaming rewards apps recommendations.

2. Skill-based games: Another way to earn is to play skill-based game apps to win real money. These are usually familiar games like solitaire and bingo but with the option to play against other people for money. Unlike the gaming rewards apps, you usually need to deposit money to win real money and you could lose money. There are also options to play for free, but you aren't likely to win a lot of money unless you're willing to make a deposit and play with real money. See the best skill-based games to play.

3. Lottery and raffles: You can also play the lottery or enter raffles for a chance to win real money. See the best lottery and raffle games.

We'll share options for all three types of games so you can pick the ones that make the most sense for you. Whatever you choose, the games on this list are legit, and they offer the opportunity to win cash and make real money. 

How we evaluate products

Gaming apps are a fun way to pass the time, but they can also be a great way to make extra income.

We rate gaming apps based on payout options, the minimum redemption threshold, app store ratings, and how much fun they are to play.

1. Best non-skill rewards apps that pay you to play games

If you like variety, like I do, you might get bored after playing one game for a long time and start wanting a new challenge. In this case, I'd recommend rewards apps, a type of money-making app that pays you just to sample different games. You download games, play them for a set number of levels or amount of time, and get paid — sometimes instantly. Then, you download another game and do the same thing. 

These differ from tournament-style game apps because they typically don't require much or any skill, and you don't have to enter cash-entry competitions to play and win real money. It's more about how long you play with rewards apps, and it's better to try several games rather than stick with one to earn rewards.

Plus, these platforms sometimes have other ways to make money, like taking surveys or signing up for different services.

You can't go wrong with any of these. I'm partial to Freecash.

Rewards app	Devices	App store rating
Freecash	iOS and Android	4.2/5 on Google Play
Cash Giraffe	Android only	4.4/5 on Google Play
Scrambly	iOS and Android	4.4/5 on Google Play
Rewarded Play	Android only	4.3/5 on Google Play
Mistplay	Android only	4.4/5 on Google Play

Freecash

Availability	Android app or use in browser on iOS devices
Cash-out options	PayPal, bitcoin, gift cards including Amazon, and more

Freecash stood out to me in my testing for how much game variety it offers — it pays you for testing different apps and online games, and even taking surveys. When I tried it for the first time, I had offers to play games like Monopoly GO, Yahtzee, and RAID, a role-playing game. I also got an offer for $5 to download my first game.

Freecash works like other reward apps and platforms. You download apps or sign up for services and get paid for your activity. Freecash tracks what you download and how long you play to determine what you'll earn.

If you get tired of playing games, Freecash also rewards you for signing up for certain services like Netflix, TikTok, or Postmates. You can also take surveys for money. 

Is Freecash legit? 

To date, more than $50 million has been earned by Freecash users and it has a 4.7 (excellent) rating on Trustpilot. I personally didn't encounter any issues while testing Freecash.

Sign up for Freecash | Read our Freecash review

Cash Giraffe

Availability	Android only
Cash-out options	PayPal, or gift cards for Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks, and more

Cash Giraffe is a platform that pays you for playing games or scrolling apps like TikTok. I liked how little effort it required and found it to be a fun way to earn cash more casually.

Like Freecash, Cash Giraffe offers a lot of variety with its available games and apps. If you see an offer you like, be sure to download it right away, as the offers on Cash Giraffe change. Some examples of games you might see in the app are slot machine games like Coin Master, bingo games like Bingo Blitz, and virtual card games like Phase 10. However, I do want to point out that Cash Giraffe is only available for Android devices.

Is Cash Giraffe legit? 

The app has over 440,000 reviews and more than 10 million downloads on Google Play. Our team tested the app and was able to withdraw our winnings for a gift card.

Read our Cash Giraffe review

Scrambly

Availability	Android app or use in browser on iOS devices
Cash-out options	PayPal, Visa gift card, Amazon gift card, Google Play, Apple

With a low minimum cash withdrawal of $1 and the option to get paid real money instantly to your PayPal account, Scrambly would be my pick for anyone who wants to earn money from games quickly. Like Freecash and Cash Giraffe, it'll pay you real money for different activities, with options to earn by installing and playing games, signing up for accounts and services (like Acorns and Rocket Money), taking surveys, and trying out other apps. You can make money by just playing games and/or unlocking certain achievements. The opportunities to earn cash when signing up for different services could come in handy when you're about to set up a new subscription.

While Scrambly doesn't have an iOS app, you can use it via your web browser on an iPhone or other Apple devices. You'll scan QR codes to download the gaming apps. While it sounds convoluted, we found it pretty simple to use during our testing. If you're on an Android device, they do have an app. Payout options include PayPal and gift cards (Amazon, Visa, Apple). iPhone games that pay real money can be hard to come by, so we appreciate that Scrambly has an easy workaround for iOS users.

Is Scrambly legit?

With solid ratings of 4.5 out of 5 on Trustpilot and 4.4 out of 5 on Google Play, Scrambly is a great option to get paid to play games.

Download Scrambly | Read our Scrambly review

More rewards apps that pay real money to play games

Here are two more gaming rewards platforms we've tested and enjoyed.

Rewarded Play: Another app with plenty of legit money-making games is Rewarded Play, and it's available to Android users. You can earn points for playing games and completing other activities like watching advertisements. These points are equivalent to real cash because they can be redeemed for gift cards. However, unlike some other platforms, you can't redeem your points for cash via PayPal. Rewarded Play has over 10 million downloads on Google Play and a rating of 4.3 out of 5 from over 230,000 reviews. 
Read our Rewarded Play review

Mistplay: Mistplay is an Android-only platform that awards units for playing games like Panda Pop, Cookie Jam, Emoji Blitz, and Idle High School, which can be traded for gift cards at retailers like Amazon, the Google Play store, and others. I like the wide variety of games available — I can download what actually sounds fun rather than just choosing from a couple of options, like my experience with Freecash. More than 800,000 ratings and 4.4 stars out of 5 on Google Play are a testament to Mistplay's legitimacy.
Read our Mistplay review

If card games aren't your thing or you just want more variety, Worldwinner is a gaming platform with lots of options, including classic word games like Scrabble and Boggle, as well as familiar titles like Yahtzee, Domino Dynasty, and Wheel of Fortune. You can choose to play head-to-head or join multi-player tournaments. Either way, you'll test your skill against other players for a chance to win real money and earn rewards.

2. Best skill-based game apps to win real cash

If you're a competitive person and like the idea of earning real money by playing and winning cash tournaments, we recommend skill-based games. These often center around competitions where players enter cash games, and the best players, or, more often, a pool of the top players, win real cash prizes.

Best bingo games that pay real money

No longer do you have to hang out in church halls with subpar snacks for hours at a time to play bingo. These bingo games have timed rounds and take a little bit of skill as well as luck to win cash prizes.

Game	Devices	FinanceBuzz Rating
Bingo Cash	iOS and Samsung	4.8 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.
Bingo Stars	iOS	4.6 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.
Bingo Winner	iOS	4.3 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.

Bingo Cash

Availability	iOS and Samsung
Cash-out options	Options include PayPal and Apple Pay

Bingo Cash games only take a minute and a half to play, so I can basically play whenever I have a spare moment. With Bingo Cash, the goal is to daub matching numbers on your digital bingo card quickly. The faster you daub, the more points you earn and the faster your booster bar charges. Your booster bar gives you a variety of different boosters.

When you get a bingo, hit the bingo button. Just be careful not to hit that button when you don't have a bingo because that could earn you a penalty! The person with the most points at the end of a match wins the most prizes, which could be gems or cash.

Is Bingo Cash legit? 

Yep. The Bingo Cash points system and booster options make this game a little tricky to learn at first, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly. The mobile game has an impressive 4.7 stars in the App Store with over 210,000 ratings.

Download Bingo Cash | Read our Bingo Cash review

Bingo Stars

Availability	iOS
Cash-out options	PayPal

Bingo Stars doesn't mess around with its competitive bingo, keeping you on the edge of your seat with some of the quickest, most engaging gameplay we've experienced. The game is fun, if not always easy, and ideal for players who want to compete in tournaments. This app also has great player matching that feels more fair than some games we've tried, pitting you against real people of similar experience levels.

Is Bingo Stars legit?

Yes, Bingo Stars is developed by a legitimate company called Lucky Day Entertainment, Inc., and it pays real money to users who win cash tournaments against other people. 

Read our Bingo Stars review

Bingo Winner 

Availability	iOS only
Cash-out options	Options include PayPal and Apple Pay

Bingo Winner is another option to play competitive bingo games for fun or to try to win real cash prizes. Like Bingo Cash, you can play for free or you can deposit money and enter tournaments to compete against other players for real money prizes. 

One downside to Bingo Winner is that we found in our testing that we needed to earn at least $30 before we could cash out — this is a little higher than the norm with similar games. 

Is Bingo Winner legit? 

Bingo Winner is a legit app with over 97,000 reviews and a 4.8 star rating in Apple's App Store. The game was developed by JoyBox Studio Limited, which also offers solitaire games for the iPhone and iPad.

Read our Bingo Winner review

Best solitaire games you can play for cash

Solitaire is a classic card and computer game, but I don't think anyone would call it exciting. These apps make it an entirely different experience. You're competing against other players, your play might be timed, there might be mini-games to play, and you could win real money. These are our favorite Solitaire apps.

Game	Devices	FinanceBuzz Rating
Solitaire Cash	iOS and Samsung	4.6 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.
Solitaire Smash	iOS	4.9 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.
Solitaire Royale	iOS	4.6 FinanceBuzz writers and editors score products and companies on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence our ratings.

Solitaire Cash

Availability	iOS and Samsung
Cash-out options	Options include PayPal and Apple Pay

Is Solitaire one of your preferred ways to have some fun and pass the time? If so, the Solitaire Cash app might be an ideal way to do the same thing with the added bonus of possibly earning real money at the same time.

I like how easy it was to get started, especially because I've never been much of a Solitaire player. But I was able to quickly learn how to play and start competing against other players of similar skill levels. 

The main downside? It has a lot of pop-ups, which are very annoying.

Is Solitaire Cash legit? 

Yes, Solitaire Cash is a legitimate app that pays real money. With an App Store rating of 4.6 out of 5 and over 414,000 ratings, it's clear this is a quality game with a lot of fans.

Download Solitaire Cash | Read our Solitaire Cash review

Solitaire Smash

Availability	iOS only
Cash-out options	Options include PayPal and Apple Pay

Like with other games on our list, the primary way to win real money with Solitaire Smash is to deposit some of your own cash and then play in cash tournaments. You'll be paired up with other players of similar skill levels.

Solitaire Smash is only available on iOS devices, including iPhones and iPads. It isn't available on Android devices.

Is Solitaire Smash legit? 

The reviews say yes. With 4.8 out of 5 stars and over 134,000 ratings on the App Store, Solitaire Smash is a legit, popular, game.

Download Solitaire Smash | Read our Solitaire Smash review

Solitaire Royale

Availability	iOS only
Cash-out options	Options include refund to original payment method and PayPal

Solitaire Royale stands out from other cash solitaire games because it offers a wider variety of game modes. Cash tournaments are part of it, as they often are for competitive game apps that pay real money, but there are also multiple ways to play with in-game tokens and several tiers to choose from for pay-to-play competitions. If you're new to the game, Rookie tournaments require an entry fee of just $1. The game automatically matches you with other human players about as good as you are. We also like the jackpot games to play against more opponents for a larger prize pool.

Solitaire Royale is only available for iOS devices, so it won't be a good fit for everyone. If you have an Android, you're probably better off with Solitaire Cash.

Is Solitaire Royale legit? 

With 4.9 out of 5 stars and over 87,000 ratings on the App Store, Solitaire Smash is a legitimate game developed by Lucky Day Entertainment.

Read our Solitaire Royale review

More skill-based games you can play for cash

Game	Devices	App store rating
Bubble Cash	iOS and Samsung	4.6/5 stars on the Apple App Store
Blackjack Royale	iOS	4.3/5 stars on the Apple App Store

Bubble Cash

Bubble Cash is a popular bubble shooter game that is a lot of fun to play. The graphics are colorful, and the gameplay is simple, making it a good choice for unwinding after a long day. 

As you shoot and pop bubbles, you earn points. The goal is to get the highest possible number of points to beat other players in timed matches. It's not easy though. Even after roughly 20 hours of total gameplay, I've never won #1 in a tournament without both clearing the board and finishing before the time runs out. You'll need both of those bonuses to be at all competitive with other players on the leaderboard.

Read our Bubble Cash review

3. Best lottery and raffle games

Jackpocket

With this app, you can skip the trip to the convenience store and buy lottery tickets right on your phone. You can buy tickets for familiar games like Mega Millions and Powerball though the games will vary by state. While the app is widely available including for iOS, Android, and Samsung devices, there are state restrictions that limit your ability to play in some locations. All in all, it's a quick and easy way to play the lottery without leaving your house.

Get Jackpocket | Read our Jackpocket review

Lucky Day

If you love scratch-off tickets, then it's your lucky day because this app allows you to play scratch offs for a chance to win. In order to get scratch offs, you need to watch ads. Some reviews complain about how long it takes to earn enough to redeem, but if you want some mindless fun and have the patience, you can win real money.

Read out Lucky Day App review

Advice from our editors for making money with game apps

Use game apps safely

Game apps are an enjoyable way to spend your free time, and you may win money while playing, depending on what games you play.

If you can, use PayPal or gift cards for any cash games you play rather than directly linking your bank account. This provides a measure of financial protection.

Make sure online games that pay real money are legal where you live

Although these games are not gambling apps, some games, such as dice, slots, or bingo, may have limited access to cash games in some states. The best way to find out whether a game is available in your state is by attempting to download the game.

Manage your spending

If you play cash games for Android or iOS, decide ahead of time how much you plan to spend playing. In-app purchases and entering cash games can be tempting, but when you reach your limit, stop playing. Make playing these games a part of your budget if it's something that you enjoy.

When you win, decide what to do with your winnings, and be sure to keep track of them.

Don't forget about taxes

Depending on the amount you win, you may be required to report your earnings to the IRS and pay taxes on them. If you have any concerns, consult a tax professional.

Games that didn't make our list

We recently removed some games from our list including Bingo Clash, Bingo Tour, 8 Ball Strike, Blockolot, Word Search, and Solitaire Clash because AviaGames, the developer of these games, is currently involved in a class action lawsuit. This suit alleges that players were duped into playing against bots instead of being matched up against other human players. While the lawsuit hasn't been decided yet, it gives us pause to continue to recommend these games. 

FAQs

Bottom line

Gaming apps could provide a fun way to potentially win cash prizes, but it's important to vet these types of apps before using them, even if they're popular games.

Read reviews to see how the experience has been for other users so you can avoid scams, and keep in mind that you typically need to deposit money and pay to win cash in these games. In other words, they're not free money.

Also, try the free versions of games (many legit game apps offer free game modes) before investing any real money. This could help you see if you enjoy a game before using any money on it in paid game modes. 

Check out our list of other legit ways to make money for more opportunities to pad your income on the side.