How it works
How Locked turns your skill into real money.
Locked is a peer-to-peer 1v1 platform for EA FC, Madden and NBA 2K. Two players stake equal amounts, play head-to-head, and the winner takes the pot — minus a flat 10% platform fee. There is no bookmaker, no house edge, and no chance-based outcomes.
How does Locked work?
Locked runs 1v1 money matches in four steps: create a challenge in any of the 6 live editions and set a stake from $2.50; an opponent accepts and both stakes lock into escrow; you play the match on console or PC; both players confirm the result and the winner is credited the pot minus the flat 10% platform fee. A $10-per-side match pays the winner $18. Two equal stakes, one escrow — the winner takes 90% of the pot.
- Create a challenge. Pick your game and edition — 6 are live: EA Sports FC 26, EA Sports FC 27, Madden NFL 27, Madden NFL 26, NBA 2K27 and NBA 2K26. Set the stake from $2.50 up, then choose game mode and rules.
- Match an opponent. Invite any player by username with a direct match invitation, send the match link to a friend, or post it to the public Arena. Whoever accepts first takes the spot — and both stakes lock into escrow.
- Play the match. Play head-to-head on console or PC, just like any normal online match. Locked does not interfere with gameplay.
- Submit results & cash out. Both players confirm the result with a screenshot or short clip. The winner is credited the full pot (minus the 10% platform fee), instantly available to withdraw.
Step two is the one that decides whether there is a match at all. Where to find an opponent covers the four routes — the open lobby, the #open-challenges Discord feed, a challenge sent to a named player, and a one-tap rematch — and why the edition you own decides who you can face.
Is Locked gambling?
No. Traditional online betting platforms operate as bookmakers: they set odds, take wagers from players, and profit when players lose. Locked does the opposite. Two players agree to a stake, both put up the same amount, and the better player at the video game wins the pot. There are no odds, no spreads, no house balance to defeat — and Locked earns the same flat 10% on a $5 match as on a $500 match, so it has no stake in who wins.
This structure is what U.S. federal law (the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, UIGEA) recognizes as a skill-based contest, not a wager. Outcomes are determined predominantly by the players' skill at the video game, not by chance.
How is Locked different from sportsbooks and fantasy sports?
On a sportsbook you bet against the house, which builds a 5–10% vig into its odds; in daily fantasy you assemble stat lineups and pay a rake on every contest. On Locked you play the video game yourself, against one opponent, for equal stakes — the outcome is decided by your own gameplay, the fee is a flat 10% of the pot, and the payout is credited the moment the result is confirmed.
| Locked | Sportsbook (DraftKings, FanDuel) | Daily fantasy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| You play against | LockedAnother real player | Sportsbook (DraftKings, FanDuel)The house / bookmaker | Daily fantasyOther players (lineups) |
| Outcome decided by | LockedYour gameplay skill | Sportsbook (DraftKings, FanDuel)Real-world game results + odds | Daily fantasyStat performance |
| House edge | Locked0% (flat fee) | Sportsbook (DraftKings, FanDuel)5–10% vig built into odds | Daily fantasyRake on contests |
| Payout speed | LockedInstant on confirmation | Sportsbook (DraftKings, FanDuel)24–48h | Daily fantasyAfter contest settles |
| Min entry | Locked$2.50 | Sportsbook (DraftKings, FanDuel)$1+ | Daily fantasy$0.25+ |
Is my money safe on Locked?
Yes — funds in your Locked wallet are yours to withdraw at any time. Money only leaves your wallet when you accept a match, at which point it sits in escrow until the match is settled. Locked does not invest, lend, or otherwise touch wallet balances.
Disputes are resolved by a human admin within 24 hours. Both players upload evidence and the admin applies a clear ruling. Players who repeatedly file false disputes or attempt to cheat can be banned and forfeit escrowed funds.
What do Locked's own numbers say?
These are measured on the production ledger, not estimated, and each one is stamped with its sample and the date it was run — September 12, 2026. Tournament matches are excluded; they settle by bracket, not by a two-player result.
| Measured | Sample | |
|---|---|---|
| 1v1 matches completed | Measured956 since April 2026; 472 in the last 90 days | SampleEvery completed 1v1 on the ledger |
| Posted challenge → confirmed result | MeasuredMedian 24 minutes for single-game matches — and that includes playing the game | Sample806 completed single-game matches |
| Disputed results | Measured61 matches disputed; median ruling in 24 minutes, 9 in 10 within 10 hours | SampleEvery dispute since April 2026; the public promise is 24 hours |
| Withdrawal approval | MeasuredMedian about 6 hours; three in four within 16 hours; 9 in 10 within 24 hours; slowest 51 hours | Sample33 approved withdrawals, last 90 days |
Two of these are the honest version of things this site used to say loosely. Withdrawal speed was described with an adverb; measured, a typical one is approved in about six hours because a person checks it first, and that is the number you should plan around. Dispute rulings were promised inside 24 hours; measured, nine in ten land inside ten. The figures are refreshed when they change, and the date next to them is the one to trust.
What happens if your opponent quits or disconnects mid-match?
Two different things, and Locked's published rules treat them differently. A genuine disconnection is meant to be resumed: both players start a new game and play out the time that was left, carrying the score across — drop in the 30th minute, play the new one to the 60th. A player who instead abandons the match is a dispute. You submit the result with evidence, both stakes stay locked in escrow, and an admin rules within 24 hours.
The distinction matters because it decides who has to do something next. A disconnection puts the match back in the players' hands; an abandonment puts it in an admin's. Most pages on competing platforms describe neither, and let both surface for the first time when someone is already out of pocket.
Who decides a disputed money match, and what counts as evidence?
A human admin at Locked, working from what both players upload. There is no automated scorekeeper and no crowd vote. Either player opens the dispute from the match screen, both sides submit screenshots or video, and the admin applies a ruling with a 24-hour review target. The escrowed stakes do not move while that runs, so a disputed match delays your money rather than losing it.
Screenshots and video both count, but they are not equal. A capture of the final score settles most result disputes. For rule claims — a custom formation, legacy defending — the Terms require video before the claim is considered at all, and the final call is Locked's. Recording your gameplay as a habit is the cheapest insurance on the platform: in practice, the player without a recording loses the argument.
Two rules are worth knowing before you stake rather than after. After 1 minute of gameplay, complaints about lag, pre-game settings or banned teams are not considered — so the time to check the setup is the first minute, not the ninetieth. And submitting fraudulent dispute evidence sits in the Terms next to collusion and multi-accounting, carrying account suspension, forfeiture of funds and a permanent ban.
What goes wrong in a money match, and what does it cost you?
Every platform documents the happy path. This is the rest of it — the eight situations players actually hit, what the rules say happens, and what each one costs. One of these is a case Locked handles badly, and it is named here rather than left to be discovered.
| What goes wrong | What the rules say | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Your opponent disconnects mid-match | What the rules sayFinish the time that was left in a new game, carrying the score across — disconnect in the 30th minute, play the new one to the 60th. | What it costs youTime, not the stake. The score follows you into the resumed game. |
| Your opponent abandons and will not replay | What the rules saySubmit the result with evidence — a capture of the score at the moment they left, or the disconnect message. An admin rules within 24 hours. | What it costs youNothing, if the evidence holds. Both stakes sit in escrow until it is settled. |
| You both claim the win | What the rules sayEscrow holds. Both players upload evidence and an admin applies a ruling, with a 24-hour review target. | What it costs youA wait, not a loss. Money does not move on a disputed result. |
| The publisher's servers lag or drop the match | What the rules sayLocked does not host the gameplay, so a bad EA or 2K server is not a Locked dispute. The usual fix is agreeing a replay with your opponent. | What it costs youThis is the case the dispute process handles worst. It is worth knowing before you stake, not after. |
| You want to complain about lag or settings after kickoff | What the rules sayAfter 1 minute of gameplay, complaints about lag, pre-game settings or banned teams are not considered. No exceptions. | What it costs youThe match stands. Check the settings inside the first minute or not at all. |
| Your opponent uses a custom or edited squad | What the rules sayMatches must be played with Online Squads only. Custom Squads or edited players mean automatic forfeiture and a recorded loss. | What it costs youTheir loss — if you can evidence it. Video is what proves this one. |
| The match ends level | What the rules sayFootball matches go to Golden Goal: a new game, first to score wins. If both players report a draw, the system refunds both stakes in full. | What it costs youNothing. A refunded draw carries no platform fee at all. |
| Nobody accepts your challenge | What the rules sayAn open challenge locks nothing. Cancel it and the stake was never held. After acceptance, a cancel request goes to your opponent instead. | What it costs youZero. You are only committed from the moment a challenge is accepted. |
The full ruleset — disconnections, Online Squads, Golden Goal, legacy defending — is written out in the Terms. If you need to reach a human, the contact page says which channel actually moves escrowed money and which ones do not, and our own legitimacy page covers payout reality and what Locked cannot claim.
Which games can I play for money on Locked?
Three franchises — EA FC, NBA 2K and Madden — on PlayStation, Xbox and PC, across 6 stakeable editions. Every one of them runs the identical ruleset — equal stakes from $2.50, both sides escrowed, a flat 10% fee on the pot, instant wallet credit for the winner. Each game has its own page with the modes players actually pick, a stake-to-payout table and the dispute rules written out.
- Play EA FC for money — Locked runs EA Sports FC 26 and EA Sports FC 27
- Play Madden for money — Locked runs Madden NFL 27 and Madden NFL 26
- Play NBA 2K for money — Locked runs NBA 2K27 and NBA 2K26
- The welcome offer — First deposit matched 100% up to $25 for new players: $5 minimum, 3× playthrough on the bonus, 7-day expiry
- Pricing and fees in full — every stake tier, worked through
- Players' Lounge alternatives, compared — six platforms side by side
Which game editions can you stake on Locked?
6 editions across three franchises: EA Sports FC 26, EA Sports FC 27, Madden NFL 27, Madden NFL 26, NBA 2K27 and NBA 2K26. Madden NFL 27 shipped on 13 August 2026 and NBA 2K27 on 4 September 2026; EA Sports FC 27 opens in early access on 18 September 2026 and worldwide on 25 September. Each of them is in the picker, and the previous edition of each stays in it alongside them. If a title is not in the picker you cannot stake it, so check there before buying a new release expecting to play it for money here.
Keeping two editions of a franchise live is not indecision — it is the only way the lobby works. Madden NFL 26 and Madden NFL 27 run on separate online servers, so the two sets of players can never be matched; offering only the newer one would hide half the lobby rather than merge it. Every challenge names its edition before either stake locks.
The money works the same way for all of them: equal stakes from $2.50, both sides escrowed, a flat 10% fee on the pot. A $10-per-side match pays the winner $18 whichever game you picked. The Madden money-match page has the modes, the stake-to-payout table and the dispute rules in full.
Frequently asked questions
Ready to play for real money?
Creating an account is free. Both entries sit in escrow until the match is over, and the pot goes to the winner. No bookmaker, no house edge.