A cash tournament platform is software that runs paid contests inside other studios' mobile games. Players pay an entry fee and compete on skill, and the winners receive cash prizes paid from the entry money. A game studio adds the platform to its game through a software kit. The platform then handles the entry fees, the matching of players, the results and the payouts.
The platform does not make games of its own. It works with puzzle, card and sports games made by other studios, mostly simple games played in short sessions. These games are usually free-to-play mobile games. The platform adds a paid mode to them.
Consider a player in California, in America, who plays a solitaire card game on her phone. She chooses a match against one other player, with a $2 entry fee. The platform finds an opponent with a similar skill rating, based on both players' past results. Both players get exactly the same deal of cards. So the difference between their scores comes from skill, not from luck. They do not need to play at the same time. Each plays the same deal when it suits her, and the platform compares the two scores. The two entry fees make $4. The winner receives $3.40, and the platform and the game studio share the remaining $0.60.
Where is this legal? Most American states allow contests for money that depend mainly on skill, but some states do not. So the platform checks each player's location, and it blocks paid contests where they are not allowed. It confirms each player's identity and age through identity verification (IDV) before it pays a prize. It takes entry fees and pays prizes through a payment gateway. It must also stop cheating, such as one person playing on two accounts, or a program that plays on a person's behalf.
In India, the Online Gaming Act 2025 bans online games played for money, whether they depend on skill or on chance. So paid contests of this kind can no longer be offered to players in India. The same Act supports esports, which are organised competitions in video games. Many Indian players now enter free tournaments, and some watch or stream the matches on a game streaming platform. Engineers in Bengaluru build one of the best-known cash tournament platforms, for players in America.