TV Game Shows Online for Real Money

When you get a little further into this list, you’ll start to realize that a lot of popular game shows are reiterations of older game show games. Card Sharks is a good example of this type of competition, as four different versions of the game show have aired since its original version seen on American television in 1978. The most recent version of Card Sharks was hosted by Joel McHale and aired as recently as 2021.

As the name implies, the game uses giant playing cards. The game itself is like red dog poker, where you try to guess whether the next card is higher or lower than the previous card. Card Sharks is available to play at multiple sites and in various apps on the internet in the form of an online video game. Arkadium is a good place to play it for free.

Most of the games on this list are the inspiration for online games. ButCatch 21is the reverse – it’s an online game that inspired a television game show that combines blackjack with trivia. The first episode of Catch 21 aired in 2019 and still gets broadcast in reruns on GSN (Game Show Network) along with other episodes.With the GSN mobile app you can stream the latest episodes of Game Show Network shows anytime, anywhere, including casting your TV with Chromecast.

The online version of the game is playable at multiple sites, but it doesn’t include the trivia aspect of the televised version. It’s an interesting game – you get five minutes to make as many hands totaling 21 from the cards you get in four columns of playing cards.

Some game shows are popular, while others are big hits. Deal or No Deal falls into the big hits category with its chances for contestants to win big in a one on one competition against the game host. It started gaining its huge reputation when it first aired in the United States in 2005, but it’s originally based on a Dutch show. Nowadays, it’s syndicated across the world in a format that always sees much banter between contestants and host. Deal or No Deal reached its zenith of popularity when it was still being hosted by Howie Mandel.

It’s not an especially complicated game and needs no real skills. Players choose a briefcase from one of 26 offered. The cash values of the briefcases range from a penny to a million dollars. They can then “make a deal” at various points during the gameplay, which they can accept or turn down. If they turn down the deal, they risk losing money on their final briefcase choice.

The most recent series ending in 2019, but the ratings were good, as Howie Mandel returned to host. You can find multiple playable versions of Deal or No Deal online or via apps.

You might remember watching Family Feud with your grandparents. We do. In our case, that was when Richard Dawson was still hosting. The newer version hosted by Steve Harvey has been hugely popular now for almost 15 years.

Gameplay is simple enough. Two teams of family members compete with each other to guess the most common answers to various survey questions using the best of their knowledge. As with most of the other games on this list, various versions of this game are available on various websites and apps.

If you’ve never seen Hollywood Squares, and surely you have, it’s basically a giant game of tic-tac-toe combined with trivia and big personalities. Two players compete, and when they choose a square, the celebrity personality in that square tries to answer a trivia question. The player can choose to agree or disagree, and if they’re right, they get the square.

TV Guide listed it as the 7^th greatest game show of all time in their 2013 list. The show might well be best known for the celebrities who occupied the squares. Paul Lynde was famous for being the important center square for years. Rich Little was another popular celeb on the show, as well as luminaries like George Gobel, Weird Al Yankovic, and Joan Rivers.

It’s available online in various formats, too, just like most of the other games on this list.

Merv Griffin invented Jeopardy in 1964, and its original 11-year run was successful.

But when Alex Trebek took over hosting in 1984, the show achieved an almost unheard-of success in the pantheon of greatest game shows. Jeopardy is basically a quiz show with a couple of twists. Each question is in a category, and each question has a different dollar amount attached to it. The biggest twist is that answers must be in the form of a question.

Of course, Trebek is no longer with us, but the show continues to be popular online and with TV viewers. Practicing one of the online versions available might be a good way to practice to get onto the show in real life.

Press Your Luck is another quiz show game with a twist. In this variation of the traditional quiz show format, if you answer questions correctly, you get to take a spin to win money. But some of the spaces on the electronic “wheel” contain whammies which end your turn and award no money.

If you’ve ever heard the expression, “big bucks, no whammies,” it came from Press Your Luck.

Various apps and websites offer Press Your Luck games you can play. It’s even popular in a slot machine format.

The Price Is Right is another show that a lot of people remember watching with their grandparents. Bob Barker hosted from 1972 to 2005 when he retired. Drew Carey has hosted since.

The Price Is Right begins with an elimination round at the beginner, and the winner of that round goes on to play more specific games. Unlike most game shows, The Price Is Right features multiple games, but all of them involve guessing prices for various products.

“Plinko” is one of the more popular sub-games on the show. “Cliff Hangers” and “Hole in One” are also popular and often played.

These sub-games are often available online or through apps, and The Price Is Right is a popular slot machine theme, too.

You might think, at first, I’ve never heard of a game show called Pyramid. It’s actually a blanket name for a number of game shows with “pyramid” in their titles. They all play basically the same way; the difference is the amount of money on the line.

The original version was The $10,000 Pyramid, but there have also been versions titled The $25,000 Pyramid, The $50,000 Pyramid, and The $100,000 Pyramid.

The $100,000 Pyramid, hosted by Michael Strahan, is the most recent version. The game is, at heart, a word game played with partners, and the clues are organized into a pyramid with the largest prize at the top. It’s much like a board game called Catch Phrase.

As with many game shows, a slot machine version is available online, and depending on where you live, you can play the slot for real money. You can also find playable versions of the actual $100,000 Pyramid online at various sites and on different apps.

Scrabble Showdown aired from September 2011 to April 2012, and it’s not nearly as well-known as most of the games that made this list. It’s included here because of how popular the board game Scrabble is. Almost everyone’s familiar with the game and its rules, and various versions of Scrabble have always been available.

Like the other game shows on this list that have gained popularity in their online versions, the game show version of Scrabble adds some twists to make it more interesting than just watching two people play heads-up.

If you were a fan of Scrabble Showdown, you can find all kinds of online Scrabble-based games online to play, for money or just for fun.

Like Hollywood Squares, Tic Tac Dough is based on one of the oldest and simplest games of all time – tic tac toe. The original version aired from 1956 to 1959, while the second iteration aired from 1978 to 1986. The most recent run aired in 1990.

Like most game shows, Tic Tac Dough tricks things up with some rule variations. In this version of the game, players answer questions before getting to place their X or O. It’s like Hollywood Squares without the celebrities hamming it up inside the squares. The game also had various bonuses in place.

You can find various versions of this online, most of which have tenuous connections to the original game show.

For a while, it was common for American production companies to adapt British sitcoms. But American adaptations of British game shows are less common. The Weakest Link is one of those unusual games that are adaptations of the British version.

The most recent version of The Weakest Link is on its third season, and it’s now hosted by Jane Lynch. The Weakest Link is, at its heart, a trivia quiz show where the teams try to bank more money by getting multiple answers right in a row, forming a chain.  At the end of each round, the teams vote on who the weakest player is on their team, and that player is eliminated from play. After six rounds, each team only has two players left.

Various online versions are available to play in the app stores and on websites.

The only game show that might rival Jeopardy in terms of perennial popularity is Wheel of Fortune. It’s been on the air continuously since 1975. Pat Sajak started hosting in 1981, replacing Chuck Woolery. TV Guide ranked it #2 on its list of the greatest game shows of all time.

Wheel of Fortune is a word game (much like hangman) where players also spin a wheel to bank money that the contestant only gets to spend after solving the puzzle.

Like other very popular game shows on this list, Wheel of Fortune has spun off a variety of slot machine games. But you can also play more faithful versions of the game online, too.

Like The Weakest Link, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is an adaptation of a British game show. Regis Philbin hosted the original American version of the show, but the most recent seasons were hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. It’s a quiz show with a long history where every question brings the contestant closer to the top prize of a million dollars. After starting with a couple of simple questions, each subsequent question gets harder and harder. 

The other twist is the existence of “lifelines,” which are opportunities for the contestant to get help with answering a question. Lifelines include an option to ask the audience members for their opinion or to call a friend on the telephone. Also, contestants can decide to quit and keep the money they’ve won at any point. This adds drama when the contestant is up to the big amounts like $100,000, $250,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000.

Will the contestant take the $500,000 and go home with it, or risk it all to win $1,000,000?

You can win prizes playing the official version on the site for that, but other spinoffs of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? include themed slot machine games.

Win, Lose, or Draw is one of the older game shows on this list. It aired from 1987 to 1990. Vicky Lawrence hosted the most popular version of the game on NBC. The set was based on Burt Reynolds’ living room, although that only means something to readers of a certain age. The game involves guessing a word based on pictures drawn by the contestants’ teammates.

Free playable versions of Win, Lose, or Draw are available online.

Many of the shows we’ve listed allow you to play for free but still with a chance to win a prize. Anything that’s totally free-to-play can’t be classified as true gambling, but still could be classified as a gambling game. Conversely, if playing your chosen game show involves depositing betting money into an online account and placing a stake to play, then it’s definitely gambling since you’re risking cash to win more of it.

Different types of games will involve different criteria for any player to be successful.

• For games based on manual dexterity or agility, you’ll need to be agile and good with your hands.
• Games requiring hand-eye co-ordination will need fast and accurate reactions.
• Trivia or quiz contests will need good levels of general knowledge or at least in-depth knowledge of specific subjects.

And, above all, you’ll likely need a hefty dose of luck in those games where the outcomes heavily depend on chance!

Game shows you find to play on most sites or apps online will not be scams. Of course, you need to be cautious. Especially if you’re depositing cash to stake on a game and want to be sure of being able to collect any winning. As long as you play at reputable sites or recommended apps, you shouldn’t experience any problems.

Probably the best way to ensure you’re safe will be to read and take note of online reviews from other real players , although any game operators you’ll find on this page will be safe enough, too.

You’ll often read reports suggesting games might be rigged. And while this typically applies to casino games, the rigging of games is highly unlikely in any online casino, given the casino always has an inherent house edge in its favour. Claims of this type are extremely unlikely to be true, either of casino games or any game show games you’re likely to encounter.

No operator that runs games for real money will survive for long in the iGaming industry if they are not legit. So yes, as long as you find a reliable site or app to play your game show game, it’ll almost certainly be legit. As with anything, do your own research before playing and it’s very likely you can’t go wrong.

Yes, playing games online is normally perfectly safe, as long as you play with a reputable and well-researched operator. As long you practice caution, you can ensure the safety and security of your personal details, and any money you’ve deposited or won will be safe, too. Plus, yu’ll be able to cash out any positive account balance at any point, provided you follow the appropriate regulatory-driven processes in the region where you’re playing.

If you do choose a games provider properly, their gaming interfaces will have been carefully designed with security in mind, and they will have incorporated safety functionality appropriately.

In countries like the UK, this is one of the main reasons regulatory bodies like the British Gambling Commission exists. Similarly, in the USA and where real money gaming is regulated in some states, one of the licensing requirements for the operators will be that they have strict safety protections in place for players.

There’s a simple answer to a complex question here; yes, in most circumstances, the games are fair!

Why complex?

When we’re talking about different gambling products, there will be different levels of fairness attached. We’ve already seen that, if you’re playing with a reputable games-provider, then it’s very likely the account management side of the service is fair.

But what about the outcomes of the games themselves?

You have to consider how the games operate and how the software that runs them determines outcomes. For the TV show games you’ll see in online casinos and other similar services, it’s random number generators that determine the outcomes of all virtual games. RNGs are designed to ensure players get a fair and random outcome in any game where pure luck is involved. Their use ensures that there can’t be any manipulation of outcomes by any operator that runs them, so you can trust them to be fair.

In addition, those operators may be subject to regular auditing. That’s another way to ensure fairness in the gaming experience.

Where contestants have to use skill or knowledge to maybe build points in a game, many operators design their contests so that competitors are of roughly the same ability. Of course, that’s a subjective exercise and you’ll  always face the possibility that an opponent in a game is just better than you at whatever is needed to win.

The eligibility requirements for participating in television game shows online to win money vary depending on the show and the country in which it is broadcast. Generally, however, most shows require that participants be at least 18 years of age, be a legal resident of the country in which the show is broadcast, and have a valid form of identification. Additionally, many shows require that participants have a valid email address and/or a valid phone number.

The process for participating in TV game shows online to win money varies depending on the show and where you’re going to play it. Generally, however, the process is as follows:

Research the game show: Before you can participate in a TV game show online, you need to do some research. You should read up on the rules and regulations of the game show, as well as the prizes and eligibility requirements.

The prizes for online TV game shows to win money can vary greatly depending on the show and the network or games operator that is hosting it. Some of the more popular online game shows offer cash prizes ranging from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. Other prizes may include vacations, cars, electronics, and other luxury items.

As an example, the popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? offers a top prize of one million dollars if played on TV. If you want to play online, it’s unlikely that sort of prize value will be available, but still there could be significant value prizes to winners.

The odds of winning money on online TV game shows vary greatly depending on the show and the format. Generally speaking, the odds of winning money on an online TV game show are lower than the odds of winning money on a live TV game show. This is because the online game show format usually involves more players competing for the same prize, making it more difficult to win. The odds of winning money on an online TV game show also depend on the type of game show.

If you want to win at anything, you need to know what skills, knowledge, or abilities it takes to be a winner. In the case of game shows, we’ve seen there can be different levels of requirement for these attributes depending on how the game works. But at high level, there are always some standard items you’ll need to understand to enhance your winning chances:

Research skills – Researching the rules and strategies related to a particular game show will give you an edge over other contestants. Additionally, it’s important that you develop quick reflexes and sharp decision-making skills – these are very likely key to being successful in an online game show.

Game analysis – Studying the rules and regulations of a TV game show is essential to improving one’s chances of winning. It is important to know when and how you can enter, as well as what kind of prizes are available. Additionally, finding out the format of the game, such as how long it lasts and how many rounds there are will give you an advantage.

Historical study – Researching previous winners can be a great way to improve one’s chances of winning. By studying the strategies and tactics used by successful contestants in the past, you might gain insights into what works and what doesn’t. For example, looking at how winners answered questions or reacted to unexpected scenarios can help give you an advantage over the competition.

Trend analysis – It can be important to be aware of any trends within the game show itself. This could include analyzing which categories of questions are most commonly asked or which players tend to fare better in certain rounds.

Stay up-to-date – Staying up-to-date with the latest news related to the game show is also important if you want to increase your chances of winning. Keeping track of any updates or changes that occur between seasons will help ensure that you are familiar with all aspects of the game before entering. Additionally, being aware of any bonus features or incentives that may become available during certain seasons can also be beneficial in improving the odds of success.

Practice – Utilizing resources that might give you practice is another important step. Taking advantage of any free practice options can be incredibly helpful when preparing for a contest.  As an example, for trivia question games, there will be many opportunities to practice answers to questions in quizzes that can help you become more familiar with the format and rules of the game. Practicing with friends and family members can also help build confidence in answering questions under pressure.

Seek extra information – It is also worth considering joining a game show forum or gaming community to get valuable tips from other players who have already participated in a show. These sources might get you advice on how to answer certain questions or use tactics or strategies for staying calm under pressure and potentially overcoming opponents.

Pay attention to planning and strategies – Having a clear strategy as it relates to the rules of any game are also key components for winning an online TV game show. As contestants, it is important to plan out how to approach each round and know what tasks need to be completed in order to gain points or move ahead. Additionally, having a well-organized plan for tackling challenging questions can help focus attention on the task at hand and maximize chances of success.

Balance your efforts – It is also essential to keep track of time throughout any competition that has a time-based element to the gameplay. Knowing when to take risks versus when it is best to play it safe can also be helpful in managing a players’ overall performance while playing against opponents.

Know how the game platform works – It’s often crucial to become familiar with the interface of the site or app you’re using. Understanding how the platform works and navigating through each page can help enhance levels of confidence when competing. It is beneficial to take the time to learn about how the scoring system works and any additional features that may be available, such as leader boards or avatars. Knowing what type of timer is utilized for each question or task can also be useful so that players don’t miss their chance to answer or run out of time unexpectedly.

Take breaks in between games –  Playing any type of game for long stretches of time can lead to fatigue, which can result in poor performance and decreased chances of winning. Taking regular breaks will allow you to maintain focus and energy levels up. It’s also important to take a break if you get something wrong and get to feel disheartened. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone has the odd off day where performance levels won’t be at a maximum.

Keep trying – Gaining experience is another way to improve your chances of winning an online TV game show. Experienced competitors are often better-equipped to think quickly and clearly, use any key strategies, and stay calm under pressure.

Ride your luck – Remember that luck plays a big role in any game show. Although there is no guarantee that luck will always be on your side, if you have done your research and honed your reflexes, then your odds of winning may increase significantly. Even where skill or knowledge is needed to win, you may still need a little luck on your side.

If you’re an online gambler that’s visited any operator you won’t have failed to note that all of them offer bonuses of extra betting or playing cash to sign up. They all also offer various promotions designed to reward regular players or encourage new ones to sign up for an account. This means that – if you’re playing a game show with an operator that handles other forms of gambling – it’s likely you’ll be able to use any bonus you’ve been awarded to place a stake on a game.

Just remember that bonuses you’re awarded often have terms and conditions attached to their use, and be sure you understand what those are.

If you’re playing at free-play sites then it’s unlikely there will be bonuses because you’re not actually risking any cash.

One critical element of any form of online gaming where some form of staking is involved revolves around funding a betting account and getting money out of it into your own bank account if you win. Having a wide range of banking options and withdrawal methods can be crucial to many players. Getting paid quickly and without any problems is a good marker of the quality of any gambling site. So, the ideal situation is to have plenty of deposit and withdrawal options from which you can choose.

And those options for depositing to, or withdrawing from, a gaming account can vary wildly depending on who you play with, which country you’re playing from, and the preferred currency.

Most gaming operators try to make it as easy as possible to deposit and withdraw, for obvious reasons. And it’s near impossible, given all of the different types of games and operators that provide them, to list them in detail here. Your best option is to check with any game operator on the specific banking methods they have available and make your choice based on that information.

But let’s at least look at some of the potential methods you might use:

Deposits

There are many dozens of different deposit methods for transfers of cash into an online gaming account. They’ll include Maestro, Apple Pay, PayPal, Google Pay, Paysafecard, Skrill, Skrill 1-Tap, Neteller, Fast Bank Transfer, Bank Wire, and Cheque.

On many sites there will be no fees for depositing with any of these, with processing near-instant in the case of wallets or debit cards but often longer and up to 5-28 banking days for a personal check.

Some game operators may offer their own deposit card that’s branded in their name. One example of this would be the Bet365 Mastercard. It’s a prepaid card that lets you deposit funds to play quickly or withdraw any winnings from your successful bets. Once the card is funded, you will instantly access your balance from any ATM or via online and in-store purchases, wherever a prepaid Mastercard is accepted. You can also use the available balance to make deposits back into your bet365 account.

One of the fastest and safest money transfer options these days is by using cryptocurrencies, though there is much to learn about using crypto coins like Bitcoin for gambling and some drawbacks you should be aware of.

Minimum and maximum deposit values

Depending on the chosen method, there is often a low minimum deposit of either £/$/€5 or £/$/€10 or equivalent in local currency. Maximum deposits are allowed of up to many thousands of pounds, euros, dollars or equivalent.

Withdrawals

When making a withdrawal, you’ll also usually have the same options you had for deposits , and you’ll typically have to withdraw via the same method you deposited.

There are no fees for withdrawing via plenty of those methods, and the processing time can vary. It typically takes up to 12 hours for some e-wallets, 1-5 banking days for debit cards, and 5-28 working days by cheque.

Minimum and maximum withdrawals

The minimum withdrawal amount often ranges from £/$/€5 to 100 (or equivalent local currency), while the maximum regularly goes from £/$/€2,000 right up to £100,000, depending on the method. Remember all these are typical figures and the reality is they’ll vary from operator to operator.

Are game show winnings taxable? This is an important question to consider for anyone who has the chance of winning a big prize on a game show and wants to know how the tax authorities look at gambling income. Whether you are playing online or in person, it will be important to be aware of the relevant tax laws in your area. In some cases, any winnings from game shows may be subject to taxation and classified as taxable income that you’d need to declare on a tax return.

Tax requirements obviously vary from country to country. In the UK there’s no tax on gambling winnings, but in the United States, all income must be reported and taxes must be paid according to IRS regulations. That includes any winnings from a game show. However, there are some exceptions that can apply depending on the type of prize and the amount won. For example, if a contestant wins non-cash prizes such as vacations or cars they will not have to pay taxes on those items.

For U.S. players, the rule is that if you win more than $600 in cash or prizes with a total value over $600 then you will need to fill out a W-2 form and provide it to the IRS at the time you make a tax return. You should also remember that each state has their own set of rules when it comes to taxing game show winnings so it is important to familiarize yourself with their local regulations too.

It’s becoming exceedingly rare for any gaming sites not to offer games that perform well and give a good user experience on mobile devices. Most websites either are designed so their desktop versions are fully responsive when viewed on a mobile phone, or they have a separate app that does the job effectively.

So, it’s highly likely that any game you want to play will be playable on your iOS or Android phone or tablet.

That’s not to say that the best way to play any game is necessarily on a mobile device, though. Certainly that option gives flexibility in the playing location for any gamer, but it depends on the game itself whether it’s best-suited to desktop engagement or mobile.

We’ve already recognized that playing a game show online is a unique experience, but what do you do if you want to play for real money and the game show fun isn’t what you’re looking for?

The good news is there are plenty of alternatives that are likely to appeal to the type of player that enjoys game shows.

The most likely alternative you could look for would be those types of skill games you can play for money prizes. They’re numerous, and range from trivia contests to video game tournaments.

If a game where pure chance and if you’re just lucky determines whether you win appeals more, then it’ll likely be a casino game that works best.  Maybe something like video slots, blackjack, or roulette might do the trick. In online casinos, the variety of games in the site libraries can be literally staggering. There are even live casino game shows that are not always based on an original TV version, including popular games like Monopoly.

But still, even in an online casino, a game show fan can still get to play an exciting game like Deal or no Deal Live, which is of course based on the original version seen on television.  Indeed, there are so many options that any player is guaranteed to be able to identify a favorite game and get a chance for payouts either in contests played alone or against other contestants.

The gaming industry is a continuously growing one and games in their current formats will always have customers and people clamouring to play. But gambling operators can’t just rely fully on known and current formats to keep gamers coming through the door. They’ll need to innovate with their products to ensure they remain competitive.

So, what could we expect to see as developments in the online game shows arena in future that might attract more players?

The obvious thoughts here might centre around the introduction of newer technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality  as drivers for the games. It’s not hard to seehow playing in a virtual reality game show could increase the enjoyment and engagement levels of participants.

Aside from this there are probably software development firms already working on new titles or complete reworks of existing titles that can generate extra interest.