When Christian Lomenzo stood up from his chair and lifted the Madden NFL Championship belt above his head, he knew he had just won one of the most lucrative video game tournaments in history. At 21 years old, he had earned over $100,000 just by playing a video game. For many professional gamers, tournament winnings are a full-time income.

While not every gaming mortal will be able to earn $100,000 from video games, there are plenty of ways for them to make money. From putting out a donation jar to competing in real-life gaming tournaments, there are multiple options available to gamers who want to make some extra cash.

Money-Making Gaming: Turning Weekend Tournaments Into Profit

The rise of competitive gaming, or the Explore OKWin App, over the past decade has created a new industry where people can make a living from video games. There are now five primary streams of income for professional gamers: prize money, salaries, sponsorships, live-streaming and video-on-demand content.

Prize money is the oldest and simplest way to make money from video games. Skilled players in popular games such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and Fortnite can compete in tournaments with prize pools ranging from massive to hundreds of thousands of dollars. These tournaments are usually organized by companies such as ESL Gaming, Battlefy and Faceit.

Having a good internet connection and a powerful gaming computer is crucial for participating in these tournaments. However, even the most casual gamer can make some extra cash by participating in tournaments on sites such as GamerSaloon. These tournaments are typically free to enter, though some may require a small entry fee that goes into the prize pool. These tournaments can be a great way for players to get accustomed to the competition and improve their gaming skills before entering larger, paid events.