This is a common question for avid Facebook gamers who spend hours each day playing popular Facebook games like FarmVille, Candy Crush Saga, and Words With Friends. With so much time and effort going into these games, it’s reasonable for dedicated gamers to wonder if there are ways to make real money through Facebook gaming.
Can you get paid to play Facebook games?
The short answer is yes, it is possible to get paid real money for playing Facebook games, but there are some important caveats. Here are a few of the main ways Facebook gamers can potentially earn money:
- In-game rewards and virtual currencies – Some Facebook games allow players to earn virtual coins, gems, or other in-game currencies. These can sometimes be exchanged for gift cards or cash.
- Sponsored posts and videos – If you have a large Facebook following, game publishers may sponsor your posts or videos related to their games.
- Affiliate marketing – You can promote in-game purchases and make a commission when your followers shop through your affiliate links.
- Game tournaments – There are occasional competitive gaming tournaments with cash prizes for top Facebook gamers.
- Facebook game coaching – Experienced players can earn money by coaching new gamers.
However, there are some significant limitations around getting paid for Facebook gaming. The amounts of money involved are usually small. Making meaningful revenue requires building up a sizable audience over a long period of time. And Facebook restricts certain types of monetization like directly selling in-game currencies.
How do sponsored posts and videos work?
One of the more feasible ways a Facebook gamer can potentially earn money is through sponsored posts and videos. This involves game publishers and advertisers paying you to promote their games to your audience on Facebook.
Here’s how it works:
- Build up a large Facebook following – You’ll need thousands of engaged followers to attract sponsorships.
- Get noticed by game publishers – Create gaming content that highlights your skills and personality.
- Negotiate sponsorship deals – Work out arrangements with advertisers to promote their games.
- Create sponsored posts – Write posts or make videos that highlight the games per the deals.
- Disclose sponsorships – Be transparent that your posts are paid partnerships.
- Get paid – You typically earn money per post/video or based on engagement.
The amounts paid for individual sponsored posts are generally pretty small, often less than $100. But by frequently posting and collaborating with multiple advertisers, it is possible to accumulate reasonable earnings over time.
What are the requirements for earning money?
While you can potentially earn money playing Facebook games, there are some key requirements to make meaningful income:
- A large audience – You need lots of engaged followers to attract advertisers and generate affiliate commissions.
- Regular content – Posting daily builds trust with your audience and gives more sponsorship opportunities.
- Expert skill – You need to be exceptionally good at the games to build an audience and offer coaching services.
- Personality – An expressive, entertaining personality keeps your audience watching and engaged.
- Patience – It takes time to build an audience and negotiate deals. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
Additionally, to earn money you need to follow Facebook’s rules and guidelines around monetization. Avoid shady practices like artificially inflating likes or followers.
What games are best for earning money?
While almost any popular Facebook game offers at least some monetization potential, certain titles stand out for their opportunities to earn money:
| Game | Money-Making Opportunities |
|---|---|
| FarmVille | In-game currency exchanges, affiliate marketing for in-game item purchases, sponsorships from Zynga |
| Candy Crush Saga | Affiliate commissions for extra lives and power up purchases, sponsorships from King |
| Words With Friends | Affiliate links for tile and power up purchases, sponsorships from Zynga |
| Slotomania | Affiliate commissions for coin purchases, sponsorships from Playtika |
| Poker | Small cash prizes in competitive tournaments |
Casual games like FarmVille and Candy Crush offer the most monetization potential as they have huge player bases making frequent small purchases that can generate affiliate income. Big Fish Games like Poker allow for competitive tournaments with cash prizes.
How much money can a top Facebook gamer make?
It’s possible to make a respectable part-time income from Facebook gaming, but becoming extremely wealthy is very rare. Here’s a look at how much top players can expect to earn:
- Casual/mid-tier player: $100 – $500 per month
- Serious part-time player: $500 – $2,000 per month
- Well-known player: $1,000 – $5,000 per month
- Facebook gaming celebrity: $5,000 – $10,000+ per month
To reach the highest earnings tiers requires being among the very best players in the world at major competitive games or having enormous followings in the millions for casual games. Even casual games demand regular play of 20+ hours a week along with constant audience engagement.
Are there any risks or downsides?
While monetizing Facebook gaming has some upside, there are also notable risks and downsides to weigh:
- No guarantees – You may invest time without building an audience or earning money.
- Changes in games – If a game declines in popularity, your earnings will drop.
- Account bans – Violating Facebook’s rules can get your account banned.
- Burnout – The grind of producing constant content can be exhausting.
- Tax obligations – You are responsible for properly reporting and paying income taxes on earnings.
The Facebook gaming environment is volatile, so while you can earn income, your revenue stream is always at risk. Ensure you follow Facebook’s guidelines closely to avoid losing your account.
Conclusion
While becoming rich solely by playing Facebook games is highly unlikely, it is possible for dedicated gamers to earn respectable part-time income through in-game transactions, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing. But significant time, skill, and audience-building are required to generate meaningful earnings. It can potentially serve as a nice side hustle but not a replacement for more traditional work. As with any online venture, proceed with realistic expectations and be sure to follow all of Facebook’s rules around monetization.