Dunk Shot Game Review [2024]: Earn Money By Shooting Baskets

Mobile gaming outperforms the gaming sector as a whole, accounting for 49% of revenues in 2023. This equates to $92.6 billion in revenue and is projected to grow to 55% by the end of 2026, according to Norton Rose Fulbright.

When you combine those figures with the popularity of basketball, the mobile game Dunk Shot is sure to offer hours of relaxing gameplay with your phone. While it won’t make you the next basketball star, it could earn you some extra cash.

Let’s look at the Dunk Shot game and some ways to make money while playing it.

What is Dunk Shot?

Dunk Shot is available through Pocket7Games on both the Samsung and iOS app stores. The free game lets players shoot baskets, and as their skills improve, compete against other players for tickets or money.

Pocket7Games is a skills-based platform developed by AviaGames Inc, founded in 2017 by Vickie Yanjuan Chen. The Pocket7Games platform offers over ten unique games in one app — including Dunk Shot — through a single wallet. Players can choose between a menu of casino, puzzle, card, math, brain, and arcade games.

Some games like Dunk Shot are only available on a smartphone, not through a tablet or computer. The AviaGames website says it hosts over 180 million tournaments monthly among all its games and has distributed more than $400 million in prize money in the U.S.

As of August 5, 2024, Pocket7Games has been rated over 89,000 times on the Apple app store and has a score of 4.5 out of 5 stars. You can also find the game on the Samsung app store with more than 9,500 reviews and a score of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Pocket7Games is not available on the Google Play store.

How does Dunk Shot work?

Once you’ve downloaded the Pocket7Games app, you’ll be able to start shooting some hoops. The free version of the game awards you tickets for every game you win, which you trade for prizes. You can also claim daily rewards or bonus cash as you play.

Although you can use tickets to enter cash games, it can take a while to accumulate enough for the cash games entry fees. If you want to speed up the process, there is a pay-to-play option, where you can make in-app purchases to cover the entry fee for these games.

How to play the game

Playing Dunk shot is very simple, and I would argue that not much skill is involved at all. All you do is tap the screen multiple times to get the ball in the basket. Yes, the baskets switch heights and sides, but they are stationary. If your ball loses momentum, you get a new ball. After three lost balls or when the two-minute timer goes off, the game is over.

The secret to getting a higher score is to do trick shots, such as a high throw, swish, or bank shot. Doing combinations in a row also allows you to earn higher points. Another trick to getting a better score is to consistently keep tapping the ball — don’t give it time to hit the ground. This will allow you to make faster shots.

I will say that there seemed to be a pattern when playing the game. I would score really well for two to three consecutive games, and the bonus points for shots seemed to be awarded more graciously. However, I would then have a bummer game, where the ball struggled to get into the same rhythm and most shots only counted for the standard two points. This happened several times when I was close to earning 8,000 tickets — the amount I needed to enter a paid competition. Coincidence or manipulated game play? It’s hard to tell.

While the game is initially addicting, I found the repetitive tapping to grow tiresome after about 30 minutes of play.

Game modes

Tutorial: The tutorial sessions allow players to get a feel for the game and provide basketball shot tips and tricks. Although you can’t earn tickets or money from the tutorials, spending some time in this section can help you make that perfect shot and get high scores in other game modes.

Ticket Games: When you’re ready, you can start competing against other players for tickets. As you work through the different levels of play, you’ll start with the Practice section, move into Steady Hand, and finally Master levels.

Each game mode also has an entry fee potential reward (prize pool) paid in game tickets:

Game	Cost to play (tickets)	Prize pool (tickets)
Practice	10	10
Steady Hand	300	200
Master	1,200	800

Cash Games: There are a variety of levels, ranging from $.60 buy-in on the beginner level with a prize pool of $1, all the way up to Master, which requires $30 to play and offers a $50 prize. Each game pits you against an opponent close to your skill level and Pocket7Games records games to ensure that there’s no cheating.

Tournaments: Tournaments allow you to play multiple opponents and offer a chance to start earning some real money. Though tournament winners tend to make the most, there are varying levels of prize money for placing second or in the top four, eight, or sixteen players on the tournament leaderboard.

If you love basketball and have ever considered making money playing video games, Dunk Shot could be a great game for you.

Eligibility requirements

Dunk Shot is only available on an iPhone, Android, or a Samsung device and can’t be played on a tablet, although other Pocket7Games are available for tablets.

Because this is a game with potential money stakes, the app is only for individuals 18 and older, and you may not be able to play for cash, depending on your state's online gambling laws. Similarly, Pocket7Games is not available on the Google Play Store because it is a cash-reward app, which Google Play doesn’t allow.

The app is only available in English and Simplified Chinese, and you must have iOS 12.0 or later to play Dunk Shot on an iPhone. To play for money, you must affirm to Pocket7Games that you are a United States resident, over 18 years old, and live in a state that allows Cash Competitions or online gambling.

Those who reside in the following states are also not able to play Pocket7Games or Dunk Shot for money:

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

These states also do not allow Cash Competitions:

• Indiana
• Maine

And these states only allow limited types of tournaments:

• Arizona
• Florida

If you’re looking for a way to make income from a side hustle that isn’t game-related, check out our list of the best side hustles to find one that suits you.

How much can you earn with Dunk Shot?

How much money you earn with Dunk Shot will depend on your skillset, your opponents skillset, and the time you devote to online gaming. There is no guarantee that this basketball gaming app will earn you a notable side income, and while it looks fun, it can also be a time-consuming way to lose money.

A class action lawsuit was filed in November 2023 stating that Dunk Shot pitted bots against humans as a way to manipulate the game. If these allegations are true, it would be harder to earn money even if you are skilled at the game.

I spent an hour playing Dunk Shot through the free version and earned $0.80 through bonus spins. I wasn’t able to compete in the cash competitions because I needed 8,000 tickets or $2.00 to enter. Every time I would get close to getting 8,000 tickets, the game would seem unfair, and I would struggle scoring well or bouncing the ball well. After an hour, I gave up trying to get to 8,000 tickets.

You are also constantly bombarded with in-game ads to purchase game points. These offers are designed to sound too good to pass up. For example, if you spend $5 in real money, you would receive a bonus $5 game cash and bonus coins. This gives the illusion that this game isn’t costing you that much, and you are the winner for taking advantage of the offers.

Each level also has a cash entry fee and a prize pool that shows how much you could win.

Level	Entry fee	Prize pool
Beginner	$0.60	$1
Intermediate	$3	$5
Enthusiast	$6	$10
Master	$30	$50
Cash Skirmish	$3	$20

How to cash out

When you have some winnings, you can cash out by going to the Withdrawal menu section of the app. You will need at least $2.00 in your account to make a withdrawal. Note that you may not be able to withdraw all your funds at once, and any bonus cash you earned is only eligible to enter the cash games and can’t be withdrawn.

All withdrawal requests undergo a 72-hour case review for fraudulent activities. Once approved, funds can be deposited through PayPal, Visa, Mastercard, debit card, or electronic check. Depending on your bank, it could take another seven days to see the money in your account.

Dunk Shot fees

There is also a processing fee when collecting your money: Either $1 per withdrawal for amounts less than $10 or 15% of the total for amounts over $10.

It is important to note that there are monthly account fees if your account is inactive. If your account is inactive for longer than 90 days, you will lose all of your bonus cash. If your account is inactive for over 150 days, you will also lose all of your account gems and tickets, as well as get charged a $2.00 monthly account fee if there are funds in your account.

Alternative gaming apps that pay you to play

If basketball doesn’t really appeal to you, but you’d still like to play games for real money, consider some of these other mobile games.

• Pool Payday takes the challenge of a pool game and puts it on your phone. The game has free play options and the ability to earn Z-coins that can be redeemed for prizes or used to compete for cash by entering tournaments or playing one-on-one.
• If sports aren’t your thing, try Bubble Cash. It’s a skills-based game that lets players shoot and pop three or more of the same colored bubbles. The game offers free and paid versions and lets you compete in tournaments against other players to earn cash and prizes.
• If card games are more your style, check out Solitaire Cash. This game offers multiple elements of different solitaire games and is a relaxing way to play cards on your phone.

FAQ

Is Dunk Shot legit?

While Dunk Shot is an actual game with a lot of reviews, all players should use caution when playing for money. Alongside the bot allegations, the company lost a $42.9 million lawsuit against gaming company, Skillz, for copyright infringement. If the bot allegations are true, it would make Dunk Shot an unreliable game to earn money through.

Instead, like other gambling games it would give the player the illusion that they are doing well and winning, but in reality it is costing them more to play.