GamerSaloon vs LCKD. A bigger catalog, or a smaller fee.

GamerSaloon is the older, wider platform: 1v1s, team matches and tournaments across sports games, shooters, fighting games and in-app casual games, run by Beyond Gaming, LLC since 2006. LCKD is narrower on purpose: 1v1 matches in Madden, EA FC and NBA 2K, a flat 10% of the pot, and no withdrawal fee. If you play many games, GamerSaloon covers more of them. If you play one of those three, the per-match cost is where they differ most.

GamerSaloon's FAQ states: “Head-to-head matches for $5 or less have a flat 50 cent service fee, there is a 14% service fee for head-to-head matches played above $5.” LCKD takes 10% of the pot when the match settles, and nothing else. Above $5, that makes the platform's cut 28% of one player's stake on GamerSaloon and 20% on LCKD. What each platform keeps from one match:

The table reads GamerSaloon's 14% the way its Terms describe the service fee, as paid by each entrant on top of the entry. Taken from the pot instead, the platform's cut is the same; only the winner's payout changes. Under $5 the FAQ gives a flat fee without saying who pays it, so the table starts at $10. LCKD's own fee math, stake by stake, is on the pricing page.

GamerSaloon is an operating company with a long record. It has run money matches since 2006, its Terms were updated on July 20, 2026, it describes holding both players' money in escrow once a match is accepted, and its iOS app holds 4.0 out of 5 across 519 ratings, last updated in July 2026. Its Trustpilot page has two reviews, which is not a sample of anything, so we do not quote its score.

One thing worth knowing before you deposit: GamerSaloon's own pages disagree on details. Its FAQ and its Terms list different excluded states and different check-withdrawal fees, and its homepage and About page give different prize totals. When they differ, the Terms are the document that binds you, so read those.

LCKD competes with GamerSaloon. That is why this page quotes sources instead of giving a verdict. Our own public record is thin: LCKD is young, and its Trustpilot profile has too few reviews to be representative. How LCKD holds stakes and settles disputes is on is LCKD legit?

GamerSaloon pays out by PayPal, with a $3 fee per withdrawal, or by check for US and Canadian residents, and its FAQ says regular withdrawals are processed within 7 business days. LCKD pays out by PayPal or MercadoPago with no withdrawal fee, from a $10 minimum. Withdrawals are approved by hand after a security check: over the last 90 days, half were approved within about 6 hours and 9 in 10 within 24 hours (33 approved withdrawals to September 12, 2026), and identity verification can add time.

The two figures measure different moments, a processing window on their side and an approval time on ours, so treat them as an order of magnitude, not a race. Our numbers are re-run from the ledger; the 33 approvals behind them run to September 12, 2026.

GamerSaloon's FAQ says you may not play for cash prizes from Arizona, Iowa, Hawaii, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada and South Dakota. Its Terms, updated July 20, 2026, list Arizona, Montana, Mississippi, Nevada and Iowa, and add that the list is not exhaustive. LCKD's Terms exclude four states: Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Washington. Both sites require players to be 18 or older.

A platform's list is a business decision, not a ruling on the law where you live. What the laws actually say, state by state and with sources, is in is playing video games for money legal?

Pick GamerSaloon if you play shooters, fighting games or anything outside Madden, EA FC and NBA 2K, if you want team matches or a daily tournament schedule, or if a native iOS app matters to you. Its catalog and its history are things LCKD does not have.

Pick LCKD if you play one of those three games 1v1 and care about the cost of each match: a flat 10% of the pot, a $2.50 deposit floor and no withdrawal fee. New players who deposit $5 or more get their first deposit matched 100% up to $25, unlocked by staking 5× the deposit in 1v1 within 30 days. Comparing more than these two? The full list of money-match platforms puts the others side by side, each with its fee and the date it was read.