Mon, Dec 12th 2016 03:00 pm

Looking to play free cash games online? A growing list of developers are expanding gaming titles that serve the desire of gamers that want to add a little spice to their online play, allowing for the exchange of money through skill based games and creating a new generation of real money video gamers in the process. Most of these games allow players to pay small fees to enter tournaments against each other, often providing small prizes and registering players to win larger monthly drawings.

The real cash game industry is growing rapidly with social game houses getting in on the trend. "Real money gaming is now reality in the U.S. with Skillz, a first-of-its-kind multiplayer tournament platform, which gives players the chance to compete for real money and virtual currency in mobile games of skill," wrote Inside Social Games blogger Scott Reyburn. Most sites offer the traditional fare of cash games with typical genres; card, board, puzzle, arcade and sports games make up the options for players looking to make small wagers in live play against others online.

But gamers from the MMO world aren't completely left out of the cash game market either, with several developers incorporating the concept of real money gaming into more extensive games than just tournaments to play bingo online and win a dollar. The developer of perhaps the most played MMORPG online World of Warcraft is Blizzard. The company released Diablo III in 2012 incorporating a real-money auction house and sanctioning the trade of game items for real money by its players. The concept hasn't really translated into success for the MMO and it was recently announced that the real money aspect of Diablo would be removed in March. Entropia Universe however, developed by MindArk, combines the traditional feel of its MMO game play into a real cash economy. Items, resources and estates comprise a player run market and are regularly traded with a proprietary virtual currency offered by MindArk called the PED. The PED is pegged to the U.S. dollar at a 10 PED to one dollar ratio, allowing players to deposit and withdrawal real funds into and out of the virtual platform. Simply put, this means the money made inside the game is easily converted back to real life funds through a bank transfer.

To the surprise of many casual gamers, big money is being made inside these platforms, enough to justify some pretty crazy sounding stories. "A group of players purchased a moon for $150,000 as part of the games 10-year anniversary celebration," according to Joystiq writer Eliot Lefebvre. As Entropia players profit in-game, they often reinvest those profits into estates and items that distribute game currency through tax and revenue splits. Many have built up profitable gaming businesses inside the platform running shops, providing services to other players and by investing in the games virtual land market. The moon was paid for using in game profits obtained by some savvy players.

So if you're looking to play free cash games online, many options exist. Games from the very traditional card games, board games, social platforms to fully immersive virtual experiences, a wide array of games are marrying internet gaming with the concept of real money for a new type of gaming experience. If social or mobile gaming is your thing, I'd give Skillz a shot. It looks like a pretty neat way to have fun on your phone and make a couple of dollars if you're good at those games. If you're more into traditional MMO style online play, you should definitely create an account in Entropia Universe. Once you create your avatar, you'll be given a bunch of free items to use to play through the new player experience and see if this game is a fit for you without having to actually invest anything in the process.