Video games have quickly grown into a popular pastime to a wider audience than ever before, from dedicated consoles to our mobile devices there are a growing number of genres and games to play – but with that also comes a growing number of ways to make a little on the side from playing these games – so how can you make money from gaming?

YouTube and Streaming – Perhaps the original method of making a living from playing games can be found on Youtube but it has always been made very clear that it is a very difficult way to make it big – it requires a big time investment as well as a big skill curve as learning to edit can take some time, and then there’s the challenge to overcome of the amount of competition out there too. Similarly the recent rise in streaming through platforms such as Twitch tell a similar story – many do very well with live streaming if they can carve themselves out a small chunk of the market. It takes a lot of work to make it here, but if you’re able to do so, there’s certainly a lot to be made from it.

Betting and Casinos – There is of course the betting and online casino market too – there have been recent changes to restrict this growth as recently regulation has changed during the lockdown to make it more difficult for players to participate through initiatives such as Gamstop, but as many sites such as maximumcasinos.com find ways around this there are many playing options for players out there – whilst both betting and gambling aren’t guaranteed, at least you are able to win big with a little knowledge.

Going pro – Not an option available to all of us, those talented enough with plenty of free time could also consider going pro in any number of the big games that are available. We’re seeing some making six figure salaries with the eight figure prize pools that are becoming available, esports and gaming are starting to rival traditional sporting money as bigger names get involved. It takes a lot of work, and as mentioned isn’t possible for everyone, but if you’re one of the lucky few you may be able to make it big through esports.

As gaming continues to evolve and move more into the mainstream view, many of these methods will only continue to grow in success along with other newer methods popping up, if you’re a fan of gaming it’s certainly an exciting time for you – the audience and demographic are continuing to grow far outside of what it had been previously, we’re seeing advancements in other tech such as augmented and virtual reality for example, and newer possibilities will keep opening up – it may get harder and harder to make money from gaming because of this, and as more competition steps in, so why not try your hand now and see if you can make a little on the side from your favourite hobby?