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ladystylestores · 4 years

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European Workers Draw Paychecks. American Workers Scrounge for Food.

LONDON — In the southeast corner of Ireland, Brian Byrne’s event-planning business was confronting a calamity. It was the middle of March, and the coronavirus pandemic was nearing peak lethality. As the government barred gatherings like music festivals, his revenue disappeared, forcing him to consider laying off his four full-time workers.

But a swiftly arranged government program spared their jobs. It provided 70 to 85 percent of their wages, enabling Mr. Byrne to keep them employed.

“It oddly hasn’t been a stressful time,” he said. “I can keep the team together, keep them motivated. We’re basically doing everything we can to be ready for when the restrictions are eased.”

Across the Atlantic in New York, the pandemic cost Salvador Dominguez his job selling Manhattan real estate. He eventually qualified for an emergency expansion of federal unemployment benefits, but not before 72 agonizing days of waiting. He borrowed from friends and family members to pay his rent, and he harvested food from the trash at a high-end grocery store.

“How can I describe it?” said Mr. Dominguez, 39, taking a breath. “It was very tough.” He added, “I didn’t feel alone, because I knew a lot of people like me were doing it.”

The pandemic has ravaged Europeans and Americans alike, but the economic pain has played out in starkly different fashion. The United States has relied on a significant expansion of unemployment insurance, cushioning the blow for tens of millions of people who have lost their jobs, with the assumption that they will be swiftly rehired once normality returns. European countries — among them Denmark, Ireland, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Austria — have prevented joblessness by effectively nationalizing payrolls, heavily subsidizing wages and enabling paychecks to continue uninterrupted.

As cases increase at an alarming rate in much of the United States, the reliance on an overwhelmed unemployment system — the next infusion of money perpetually subject to the whims of Washington — leaves Americans uniquely exposed to a deepening crisis of joblessness. Europe appears poised to spring back from the catastrophe faster, whenever commerce resumes, because its companies need not rehire workers.

“You just send an email, and that’s it — you’re ready to go,” said Jonathan Rothwell, principal economist at Gallup, the American polling firm, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “There’s no recruitment or negotiation.”

Some have argued that the differing approaches are functionally equivalent. European taxpayers are writing checks to employers who wind up paying workers. American taxpayers are furnishing relief through unemployment payments.

“I think it’s a real open question,” said Jason Furman, an economic adviser to President Barack Obama, “which of those will be better in the long term. They might be more similar than everyone thinks.” He was speaking during a recent discussion with Stephanie Flanders of Bloomberg.

But conversations with recipients of government relief in Europe and the United States reveal one substantial difference: In many European countries, wage subsidies have enabled paychecks to continue without a hitch, sparing people the anxiety of managing bills while awaiting relief. For Americans, hellish tangles with bureaucracy have become legion as tens of millions of people have deluged the unemployment system, crashing websites, tying up phone systems and standing in parking lots for hours outside benefits offices.

Far from an accident, this reflects the values animating American capitalism, in which social safety nets are minimal, leaving people to struggle with scant relief. The pandemic “exposes the fact that we have a system problem,” said Joseph Stiglitz, the Nobel laureate economist. “A system where 50 percent of the people are on the edge is not a resilient system.”

The American Paycheck Protection Program has similarities to Europe’s wage subsidy programs. It has directed $520 billion in loans through private banks to small businesses. If American employers limit layoffs, they do not have to repay the money. Five million businesses have received funding, but bewildering rules and technical glitches have limited broader participation.

Washington also increased standard unemployment benefits by $600 a week, often giving recipients more than they earned in their jobs. But in requiring that workers transition from payrolls to the unemployment system, the government effectively consigned people to torturous delays.

Jobless data reveals how the pandemic has assailed American workers with exceptional force. The unemployment rate in the United States has soared nearly eight percentage points since February — it registered 11.1 percent in June — while France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands have all limited increases in the jobless rate to less than one percentage point.

“By and large, the European social model has proved quite adept and robust for this kind of crisis,” said Jacob F. Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington.

None of this offers guarantees about the future. In many countries, the United States included, pandemic aid programs are set to expire in coming months. Given persistent fears about the virus, an abrupt elimination of relief would be damaging.

In Britain, nine million workers have officially been furloughed while continuing to draw paychecks under a government program. But as many as a fourth are at risk of being fired when the government reduces the subsidy in September, according to Bloomberg. In the United States, extra jobless benefits expire at the end of July, prompting worries that the removal of this aid will spell a loss of spending, further damaging businesses and producing another spike in unemployment.

For Americans, the risks are heightened by the fact that the nation lacks a national medical system — a feature taken as a given in Europe — leaving most people reliant on their jobs for access to health care.

For now, European programs are insulating workers from the consequences.

In Spain, the terrifying spread of the virus prompted the government to order a halt to nonessential services in mid-March. That threatened the livelihood of Ana Ascaso, a mother of three who works as a waitress at a popular bar in the center of Zaragoza, a city of 700,000 people in the northeast of the country. Her husband had been out of work for more than a year.

Within hours of announcing the state of alarm, the Spanish government also approved an “act of God” wage subsidy program. Ms. Ascaso and the other eight employees at the bar would technically be furloughed — their jobs awaiting their return — while the government paid 70 percent of their wages.

“It was very sad seeing the rising death rate, but I felt lucky that the only thing I had to worry about was my health and the health of my loved ones,” she said.

The bar where Ms. Ascaso works reopened late last month. The tables are set farther apart than before. She wears a mask as she serves drinks and tapas.

“For me, the wage subsidy was a gift,” she said.

Isabel Santander, who has long worked in a Zaragoza factory that makes automobile dashboards, endured a two-month delay for her government-furnished wage subsidy. But her bank advanced the money while she waited.

“I was able to feel relaxed at home,” she said. She spent time with her two daughters. Her company plans to resume production in early July, bringing back all 200 employees.

Updated June 30, 2020

What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.

Is it harder to exercise while wearing a mask?

A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.

I’ve heard about a treatment called dexamethasone. Does it work?

The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.

What is pandemic paid leave?

The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.

Does asymptomatic transmission of Covid-19 happen?

So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.

What’s the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface?

Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.

How does blood type influence coronavirus?

A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.

How many people have lost their jobs due to coronavirus in the U.S.?

The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.

How can I protect myself while flying?

If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)

What should I do if I feel sick?

If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.

In Ireland, the wage subsidy approach has not merely prevented workers from falling into arrears. It has also maintained their sense of cohesion.

Ian Redmond operates several nightclubs and bars in Dublin, employing over 100 people. He opened a tiki bar in January, right before the pandemic, assembling a team skilled in the art of cocktails. The wage subsidy program has spared him from having to start over.

“The government has been very proactive,” he said.

As Mr. Byrne, who runs the events, looks ahead to a new era of music performances and comedy shows with smaller crowds and social distancing, his employees have been able to carry on with their lives. One of his workers had been in the process of buying a house.

“If she was unemployed, she would have had a lot of difficulty getting a mortgage,” Mr. Byrne said. She was approved, and the sale is going ahead — presumably setting up future business for carpenters, electricians and a range of other services sustained by homeowners drawing paychecks.

The Irish government sought to protect jobs in two rapid bursts. First, in mid-March, it unleashed payments of 350 euros ($395) to all who were out of work, regardless of their earnings. Then, it followed up with the wage subsidy plan, agreeing to cover up to €410 in pay per week at companies whose revenues dropped by at least 25 percent.

“These two schemes,” Mr. Byrne said, “they have really kept the country open.”

The American approach, by contrast, has barraged the unemployment system with people in dire straits, exceeding its capacity to deliver.

Normally, Mr. Dominguez, the Manhattan real estate agent, would not have been eligible for unemployment, because he was a contract worker. But the pandemic prompted Congress to make benefits available to freelancers and self-employed workers.

When he initially applied, he was told that he had to be rejected for state benefits before he could qualify for the federal benefits — a cumbersome, time-consuming requirement.

After New York petitioned the federal government to change the rules, Mr. Dominguez applied again through the website and was told he would hear back within 72 hours.

Days turned into weeks and then months as his bills mounted. He dialed every state number he could find to plead his case. He joined Facebook groups with other jobless workers awaiting relief. He contacted his political representatives.

He did receive a $1,200 stimulus check from the federal government, supplementing that money with borrowed funds to cover the $2,800-a-month rent on his one-bedroom apartment.

He signed up for distribution at a food pantry. Then, a friend tipped him off to what passed for a gold mine in such times: Citarella, a famously expensive purveyor of fresh seafood and other gustatory treasure, tossed out expired food daily. He began stopping by the store after closing time, rooting through the trash for nourishing discards.

More than 10 weeks after he applied for unemployment benefits, Mr. Dominguez received word that he had qualified.

He was still awaiting his first check — $170 in state benefits, plus the $600 in expanded federal relief. And the money was effectively spent: He had to pay back what he had borrowed.

Peter S. Goodman reported from London, Patricia Cohen from New York, and Rachel Chaundler from Zaragoza, Spain.

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kennethherrerablog · 5 years

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Gamers: Your Video Game Hobby Can Also Earn You Real Income

It was overtime, a tight match-up between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. The Giants had third-and-3 at their own 30.

Then, a miracle play: a catch-and-run with a perfectly executed juke of a Philly defender. The announcer screamed, “We have a walk-off. Ten. Five. Touchdown!”

Christian Lomenzo, 21, set his controller down in shock. He stood up, put on his Giants cap and raised the Madden Challenge Championship belt above his head. He had just won his first major video game tournament.

And $35,000.

When Lomenzo started playing games at 8 years old, he never thought of gaming as a career path or a way to make money. Like most Americans, he played for fun and with friends. Even until the very last play of the Madden NFL championship, he wasn’t really thinking about the money.

“Going into the tournament, and during the tournament and even during the play before I won, the last thing on my mind was winning,” said Lomenzo, who goes by the moniker Chritobin online. “All I was thinking about was getting the first down.”

Video game tournaments, such as Electronic Arts’ (EA) Madden Championships, have never been more popular, and gaming companies are raking in the profits. Though it’s considered a pillar company of the gaming industry, EA’s competitions are dwarfed by companies like Riot Games, the makers of League of Legends, and Blizzard, the makers of StarCraft and Warcraft. Their esports events are international spectacles.

But First, What Are Esports?

Simply put, esports are video game tournaments with highly skilled players who are considered athletes. EA flew Lomenzo to California for an all-expenses-paid trip to play in the Madden Championships at its brand new, state-of-the-art esports broadcast studio. For international tournaments, players are granted esports visas to travel and compete.

The video games themselves don’t necessarily have anything to do with actual sports. Some of the most popular games are called Massive Online Battle Arenas (MOBAs), which are usually fantasy or sci-fi in nature, or First Person Shooters (FPS), which tend to be more realistic, wartime games — or a mixture of both. (See: Apex Legends and Overwatch.) These games are typically played on the PC and are team-based. They have objectives as simple as eliminating the other team or as complex as plotting hours-long strategies to capture an opponent’s base.

They’re approachable enough for everyday gamers to play, but professionals spend thousands of hours learning the intricacies of the games’ design to develop heightened reflexes and sophisticated strategies.

Of course, there are plenty of video games about sports too, like FIFA, Madden, NBA 2K and UFC. Just like real sports, there are millions of fans who to tune in online to watch these virtual athletes running, kicking and wrestling.

But those MOBA tournaments are more popular. A lot more. Hundreds of millions of worldwide fans watch them, rivaling the viewership of real-life sporting events.

The 2018 League of Legends World Championship was held in South Korea, and at its peak reached 200 million viewers. The 2018 Super Bowl, by contrast, drew a little more than 103 million.

What all this means is that there are ever-growing ways to make money playing video games — but not only in playing them. Video-game-related careers are surging. For big-ticket tournaments, there’s a need for announcers, scouters, coaches, marketers, broadcasters and all of the necessary people to create and maintain the video game. Augmented reality, virtual reality and video game data analytics are career paths poised to explode in the near future, as well.

Esports Earnings

By winning the penultimate Madden Championship, Lomenzo raked in $35,000 and automatically qualified for one of 16 spots in the Madden Bowl. The first-place prize for that competition is $40,000, but every contestant on the roster is guaranteed something. Even the player who places 16 out of 16 will walk away with $5,000.

Compared to the bigger tournaments, the Madden Bowl’s cash prizes are peanuts. The winners of the 2018 League of Legends (LoL) championship earned $2.4 million (out of a prize pool of about $6.5 million). In LoL, the teams include five players, meaning each player could win upward of $500,000 for the championship match.

Later this year, Epic Games is holding the first ever Fortnite World Cup in New York City, and it’s offering a total cash prize of $100 million over the course of all qualifying rounds, finals and the main event. In 2018 alone, Epic Games banked $3 billion in revenue for a game that is completely free to download and play.

As video games become a prime source of entertainment, the industry is making more money than it knows what to do with.

Edward Castronova, a video-game economist, author and media studies professor at Indiana University, predicts that by the mid 2020s, these free-to-play gaming companies will actually pay casual users to play.

In a whitepaper Castronova penned in 2016, he argued that the effects of automation and AI will transform video gaming into a viable job option for displaced workers. And his predictions already seem to be coming true.

Such large cash payouts for tournaments are evidence that the gaming industry is flirting with a business model that pays its players. But what Castronova expects to see is not the pros getting all the money, but the everyday gamers.

“The companies will pay them small amounts to just be there, in the game, while the big shots make all the noise,” Castronova said. “Those [casual gamers] are the people who will have viable low-wage jobs from video games.”

To prepare for this future economic shift, “pay as much attention to your gaming literacy as you do to literature, art, music and film,” Castronova said.

In the meantime, gamers who are looking to earn money will have to make do with a more sporadic payment system.

Video Game Tournaments That Pay

Let’s be clear: Most gamers won’t make $35,000 per match. Such big prizes are reserved for an elite few. However, there are video game tournaments that reward above-average players with prize money.

That’s how Lomenzo got his start. Before his days of Madden fame, he would make a few bucks here and there in smaller video game tournaments.

“I really like playing against other people to win something,” Lomenzo said. “I would just play for $1 wagers when I was 14 years old.“

And as he grew, so did his cash prizes.

Pro Tip

Start in small video game tournaments to sharpen your skills and earn some cash along the way.

Below are some tournament websites that Lomenzo used to get his bearings. You can earn anywhere from $1 to $10,000 per match.

(Note: some states such as Arizona, Iowa and Louisiana ban cash-prize competitions. Users who pay to enter a competition must be at least 18 years old.)

GamerSaloon

A broad mix of tournaments are available on GamerSaloon. Typical, small matches could earn you $9, whereas the larger tournaments pay up to $10,000. Several matches require a small entry fee, which goes into the cash pot. But if you don’t want to fork over any money, stick to the free-entry tournaments.

Trending Games: Apex Legends, Call of Duty, FIFA, Fortnite, NBA, NFL and UFC

Gaming Systems Accepted: PCs and most consoles

MLG GameBattles

Not all winnings in MLG GameBattles are cash. Some tournaments pay in achievements, trophies or credits. The tournaments that do pay cash can be quite lucrative. It’s common to see daily competitions with prizes of $100 to $400.

Trending Games: Apex Legends, Call of Duty, Fortnite and Gears of War Gaming Systems Accepted: PCs and most consoles

Players’ Lounge

If you got beef with another gamer, Players’ Lounge is the place to settle it. Here, you can challenge other players to a head-to-head match and make a wager from $2.50 to $500. Or, if you’d prefer, join tournaments at your leisure. You get free admission to your first tournament, after that, it typically costs $1 to join a cash-prize match.

Trending Games: Apex Legends, Fortnite, Madden and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

Gaming Systems Accepted: PC, PS4 or Xbox One

World Gaming

With over 3 million registered gamers, World Gaming is one of the largest competitive gaming websites. It hosts both free-to-enter and pay-to-enter tournaments with varying cash or token prizes. Weekly tournaments offer cash prizes typically between $100 and $200.

Trending Games: Apex Legends, FIFA, Fortnite, Hearthstone, Madden and Super Smash Bros

Gaming Systems Accepted: PCs, smartphones and most consoles

XY Gaming

Both a marketplace for virtual video-game items and a competitive gaming platform, XY Gaming runs on virtual coins and cash. There are free-to-play tournaments with cash or coin prizes every month. Or, you can use your coins (you get 2,300 for signing up) and cash to join tournaments daily. If you’re feeling extra competitive, feel free to challenge other users to a head-to-head battle.

Trending Games: Dota 2, League of Legends and Smite

Gaming Systems Accepted: PCs and most consoles

While Lomenzo remains hopeful his recent Madden win is the beginning of a long career in esports, he’s deciding to play it safe: He’ll practice gaming when he has the time.

For now, his main focus is graduating from Florida Polytechnic University with a bachelor’s degree in business analytics.

Adam Hardy is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. He writes about the gig economy and ways to make money that don’t involve stuffy, corporate offices. Read his full bio here, or say hi on Twitter @hardyjournalism.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.

Gamers: Your Video Game Hobby Can Also Earn You Real Income published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

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kennethherrerablog · 5 years

Text

Gamers: Your Video Game Hobby Can Also Earn You Real Income

It was overtime, a tight match-up between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. The Giants had third-and-3 at their own 30.

Then, a miracle play: a catch-and-run with a perfectly executed juke of a Philly defender. The announcer screamed, “We have a walk-off. Ten. Five. Touchdown!”

And $35,000.

But First, What Are Esports?

But those MOBA tournaments are more popular. A lot more. Hundreds of millions of worldwide fans watch them, rivaling the viewership of real-life sporting events.

The 2018 League of Legends World Championship was held in South Korea, and at its peak reached 200 million viewers. The 2018 Super Bowl, by contrast, drew a little more than 103 million.

Esports Earnings

As video games become a prime source of entertainment, the industry is making more money than it knows what to do with.

To prepare for this future economic shift, “pay as much attention to your gaming literacy as you do to literature, art, music and film,” Castronova said.

In the meantime, gamers who are looking to earn money will have to make do with a more sporadic payment system.

Video Game Tournaments That Pay

That’s how Lomenzo got his start. Before his days of Madden fame, he would make a few bucks here and there in smaller video game tournaments.

“I really like playing against other people to win something,” Lomenzo said. “I would just play for $1 wagers when I was 14 years old.“

And as he grew, so did his cash prizes.

Pro Tip

Start in small video game tournaments to sharpen your skills and earn some cash along the way.

Below are some tournament websites that Lomenzo used to get his bearings. You can earn anywhere from $1 to $10,000 per match.

(Note: some states such as Arizona, Iowa and Louisiana ban cash-prize competitions. Users who pay to enter a competition must be at least 18 years old.)

GamerSaloon

Trending Games: Apex Legends, Call of Duty, FIFA, Fortnite, NBA, NFL and UFC

Gaming Systems Accepted: PCs and most consoles

MLG GameBattles

Trending Games: Apex Legends, Call of Duty, Fortnite and Gears of War Gaming Systems Accepted: PCs and most consoles

Players’ Lounge

Trending Games: Apex Legends, Fortnite, Madden and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

Gaming Systems Accepted: PC, PS4 or Xbox One

World Gaming

Trending Games: Apex Legends, FIFA, Fortnite, Hearthstone, Madden and Super Smash Bros

Gaming Systems Accepted: PCs, smartphones and most consoles

XY Gaming

Trending Games: Dota 2, League of Legends and Smite

Gaming Systems Accepted: PCs and most consoles

While Lomenzo remains hopeful his recent Madden win is the beginning of a long career in esports, he’s deciding to play it safe: He’ll practice gaming when he has the time.

For now, his main focus is graduating from Florida Polytechnic University with a bachelor’s degree in business analytics.

Gamers: Your Video Game Hobby Can Also Earn You Real Income published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

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kennethherrerablog · 5 years

Text

Gamers: Your Video Game Hobby Can Also Earn You Real Income

It was overtime, a tight match-up between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. The Giants had third-and-3 at their own 30.

Then, a miracle play: a catch-and-run with a perfectly executed juke of a Philly defender. The announcer screamed, “We have a walk-off. Ten. Five. Touchdown!”

And $35,000.

“Going into the tournament, and during the tournament and even during the play before I won, the last thing on my mind was winning,” said Lomenzo, who goes by the moniker Chitobin online. “All I was thinking about was getting the first down.”

But First, What Are Esports?

But those MOBA tournaments are more popular A lot more. Hundreds of millions of worldwide fans watch them, rivaling the viewership of real-life sporting events.

The 2018 League of Legends World Championship was held in South Korea, and at its peak reached 200 million viewers. The 2018 Super Bowl, by contrast, drew a little more than 103 million.

Esports Earnings

As video games become a prime source of entertainment, the industry is making more money than it knows what to do with.

To prepare for this future economic shift, “pay as much attention to your gaming literacy as you do to literature, art, music and film,” Castronova said.

In the meantime, gamers who are looking to earn money will have to make do with a more sporadic payment system.

Video Game Tournaments That Pay

That’s how Lomenzo got his start. Before his days of Madden fame, he would make a few bucks here and there in smaller video game tournaments.

“I really like playing against other people to win something,” Lomenzo said. “I would just play for $1 wagers when I was 14 years old.“

And as he grew, so did his cash prizes.

Pro Tip

Start in small video game tournaments to sharpen your skills and earn some cash along the way.

Below are some tournament websites that Lomenzo used to get his bearings. You can earn anywhere from $1 to $10,000 per match.

(Note: some states such as Arizona, Iowa and Louisiana ban cash-prize competitions. Users who pay to enter a competition must be at least 18 years old.)

GamerSaloon

Trending Games: Apex Legends, Call of Duty, FIFA, Fortnite, NBA, NFL and UFC

Gaming Systems Accepted: PCs and most consoles

MLG GameBattles

Trending Games: Apex Legends, Call of Duty, Fortnite and Gears of War Gaming Systems Accepted: PCs and most consoles

Players’ Lounge

Trending Games: Apex Legends, Fortnite, Madden and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds

Gaming Systems Accepted: PC, PS4 or Xbox One

World Gaming

Trending Games: Apex Legends, FIFA, Fortnite, Hearthstone, Madden and Super Smash Bros

Gaming Systems Accepted: PCs, smartphones and most consoles

XY Gaming

Trending Games: Dota 2, League of Legends and Smite

Gaming Systems Accepted: PCs and most consoles

While Lomenzo remains hopeful his recent Madden win is the beginning of a long career in esports, he’s deciding to play it safe: He’ll practice gaming when he has the time.

For now, his main focus is graduating from Florida Polytechnic University with a bachelor’s degree in business analytics.

Gamers: Your Video Game Hobby Can Also Earn You Real Income published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

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