Let's face it, we all like the idea of having some extra cash to spend. We also relish the opportunity to not have to worry about paying the bills and dealing with emergencies. Of course, there is always the option of taking out a small loan to help with everyday expenses, but what if you could actually earn extra cash doing something that you love instead?

This ideal scenario has been in the news lately, with the coverage of the Fortnite World Cup. To a casual observer, it may seem as though earning huge amounts of money for playing computer games is a simple way of getting extra cash. However, it's not quite that straightforward. Let's examine some of the common ways of making money from gaming and see why they are not an easy financial solution. 

There is plenty of appetite out there for watching live gaming. However, it's a very competitive world. In order to make money from live streaming your gaming activity, you need to establish an audience. 

There is no doubt that gaming is hugely popular across the globe. According to Statista.com, Fortnite has;

"...become a worldwide phenomenon, amassing almost 250 million players across the globe as of March 2019."

These figures are just for one game, so you can imagine the potential when it comes to writing tutorials for the game hungry public. These tutorials can come in various forms, including YouTube videos and ebooks. Writers of these tutorials can monetize the content. This may sound like an easy way to make money. However, the best money can only be made from writing about the most popular games and writers come up against a lot of competition. In order to be successful, a prospective writer needs to have a good work ethic, be a knowledgeable gamer and be a creative and talented writer, in order to capture the imagination of the reader as well as providing comprehensive game instructions and advice. 

Talented gamers might want to try their hand at entering the world of esports. This is where big money can be won in various tournaments worldwide. However, as with any type of sporting activity, competition is great. There is very little room at the top so anyone who is interested in competitive gaming needs to be supremely talented and extremely dedicated in order to win a significant amount of money. Of course, there are less lucrative prizes to be had. However, winning these lower amounts is often not sufficient to cover entrance fees and hotel and travel costs. 

It's clear to see that gaming is not an easy way to start earning extra money. It can be financially advantageous to a few people but it requires a lot of effort and dedication. If you ever find yourself a little short of cash, a short term loan could be the best option for you – just make sure you’re in a financial position to be able to pay it back.