# How do free game websites make money? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 5, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-free-game-websites-make-money/193225 "2003-08-05T23:11:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-free-game-websites-make-money/193225/1 "2003-08-05T23:11:19Z")
I am not going to post any links, but how do websites that off free games, but doesn’t sell anything make any money? ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-free-game-websites-make-money/193225/2 "2003-08-05T23:12:54Z")
\*offer free games… ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-free-game-websites-make-money/193225/3 "2003-08-05T23:19:51Z")
Free games frequently come bundled with adware. Of the game website has pop-up ands and/or ad banners. The game provider is paid to be an advertising route. ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-free-game-websites-make-money/193225/4 "2003-08-05T23:39:50Z")
I’m guessing it’s also to show off their programming and multimedia skills to prospective clients. Advertising revenue from banners help too. The market has crashed, but apparently it’s still possible to eek out a living. ---
**Author:** ![InquisitiveIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3ec8ea/32.png) [@InquisitiveIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InquisitiveIdiot)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-free-game-websites-make-money/193225/5 "2003-08-06T04:59:21Z")
There’s also the possibility of living off donations. Wulfram 2 manages to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-free-game-websites-make-money/193225/6 "2003-08-06T08:11:50Z")
The same way you can listen to radio for free, or watch TV for free. Advertising. ---
**Author:** ![ProjectOmega](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b487fb/32.png) [@ProjectOmega](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProjectOmega)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-free-game-websites-make-money/193225/7 "2003-08-06T08:18:26Z")
Depends what you’re referring to. The world of warez is rather shady and very complex and interesting, but if you mean shareware stuff, it’s mostly advertising. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-free-game-websites-make-money/193225/8 "2003-08-06T14:53:40Z")
Plus, when you sign up for a game they have your mailing address & phone number & on those things they can make $$ …Think of that next time you get a telemarketer call. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-free-game-websites-make-money/193225/9 "2003-08-06T15:01:45Z")
Big corporations like to be able to say that they provide a certain amount of freebies just to get on the puiblic’s good side. They might even be able to claim this as a tax write-off for donating goods & services. ---
**Author:** ![lexi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lexi/32/6806_2.png) [@lexi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lexi)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-free-game-websites-make-money/193225/10 "2003-08-06T18:56:44Z")
I work for a company than runs promotional games - if you are talking about games such as instant win games such as scratch & win mail outs or online sweepstakes or online football fantasy pools, most companies that offer them are running it either to get information about their users from registration, or using it for advertising. Often the company running the promotion gets insurance for big prizing & for contingency prizing they offer a number of “donated” or complimentary items of little or no value from the companies perspective, such as free room upgrades offered by a hotel for a contest. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-free-game-websites-make-money/193225/11 "2003-08-06T20:20:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*Plus, when you sign up for a game they have your mailing address & phone number & on those things they can make $$ …Think of that next time you get a telemarketer call. \*\* There’s a lot to be said for the mighty underscore. 🙂