# How do these mobile games that pay out real money make a profit? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [May 3, 2026, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-mobile-games-that-pay-out-real-money-make-a-profit/1029738 "2026-05-03T00:47:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-mobile-games-that-pay-out-real-money-make-a-profit/1029738/1 "2026-05-03T00:47:07Z")
You may have seen them advertised; some of the ads specifically say that they don’t do things that other such apps do to make money (like in-app ads, requiring friend recommendations, cash-in limits, or “top ups,” whatever those are). I’m assuming that spending money isn’t required, or it’d be straight up gambling. So what’s left? What’s the catch? I don’t particularly want to give them search engine hits, because whatever the business model is, I’m sure it’s at least a little scummy. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-mobile-games-that-pay-out-real-money-make-a-profit/1029738/2 "2026-05-03T01:05:22Z")
If they required you to give them a valid email address, or God forbid phone number, it would be easy for them or monetize that. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-mobile-games-that-pay-out-real-money-make-a-profit/1029738/3 "2026-05-03T01:10:12Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > I’m assuming that spending money isn’t required, or it’d be straight up gambling. My guess (not having played any of these games) is that, while spending money isn’t _required_, it’s an option. (And I could see getting stuck some number of levels in, and seeing that getting a hint would only cost $1.99, so you go for it.) In the Apple App Store, there is a field for whether “in-app purchases” are possible. Do you see that if you look up the game in the app store? ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-mobile-games-that-pay-out-real-money-make-a-profit/1029738/4 "2026-05-03T01:12:35Z")
Depends on the game. I’ve seen quite a few mobile games that were out and out scams, so false advertising. More common was the competitive games that were absolutely pay-to-win. You didn’t have to spend money in them, true, but you’d loose against anyone who did spend that money. Third was money = time. More true for base/farm building types. You didn’t have to spend money at all, but you’d often do everything you wanted, to be told that the next action wasn’t available for 4 / 8 / 12 + hours. Or you could spend a teeeeensy bit of money and it would happen immediately. Fallout Shelter had a good bit of it, plus options for series characters, bonus loot, etc. Nothing you _HAD_ to have, but it made life a lot easier. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-mobile-games-that-pay-out-real-money-make-a-profit/1029738/5 "2026-05-03T01:14:05Z")
Good idea; I might look. I just wasn’t sure if depending on whales was economically viable for an app that actually has cash payouts. I’ve heard that whales outspend FTP enough for games, but I imagine that money games would be different; you can actually keep direct track of losses, and you have nothing to show for it, not even a cool powerful unit or a top world ranking. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-mobile-games-that-pay-out-real-money-make-a-profit/1029738/6 "2026-05-03T01:25:23Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > I’ve heard that whales outspend FTP enough for games, but I imagine that money games would be different; you can actually keep direct track of losses, and you have nothing to show for it, not even a cool powerful unit or a top world ranking. This is true of IRL gambling, and yet… ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-mobile-games-that-pay-out-real-money-make-a-profit/1029738/7 "2026-05-03T01:25:49Z")
Note that there is a [Wikipedia article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-to-play) on free-to-play video games, as opposed to premium games (in which you have to pay to play at all) or freeware games. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2026, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-mobile-games-that-pay-out-real-money-make-a-profit/1029738/8 "2026-05-03T16:50:09Z")
I had a game featuring a panda. I assumed it made money off the ads. I got bored of it before I was able to make any real money, so the whole thing could have been a scam ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2026, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-these-mobile-games-that-pay-out-real-money-make-a-profit/1029738/9 "2026-05-09T03:16:33Z")
AIUI, the recent round of jackpot games pay you for watching ads. There are a lot of complaints that they try to frustrate you to quit out before you reach the payout threshold.