Locked guides
Money match guides
Everything Locked publishes about staking a 1v1 console match: what it costs, where your money sits while you play, who decides a disputed result, and what the law actually says. Numbers first, hedging only where the honest answer is hedged.
Latest guides
How to make money playing EA FC — the win rate nobody puts in the headline
A $10 EA FC 26 money match pays the winner $18. Breaking even needs a 55.6% win rate. The math, the three modes, and what a draw does to the pot.
·6 min read
How to make money playing NBA 2K — the win rate nobody puts in the headline
A $10 NBA 2K money match pays the winner $18. Breaking even needs a 55.6% win rate. The math, the modes, the settings and the two 2K editions you can stake.
·6 min read
Are money match sites safe? What escrow actually protects — and what it doesn't
Escrow stops your opponent taking the money mid-match. It does not decide who won, or survive a platform going under. What to check before you deposit.
·5 min read
How to make money playing Madden — the win rate nobody puts in the headline
A $10 Madden money match pays the winner $18. Breaking even needs a 55.6% win rate. The math, the modes, and the two Madden editions you can stake.
·5 min read
What does a Locked match actually cost?
Locked takes 10% of the total pot and nothing else — no deposit fee, no withdrawal fee, no rake on top. Two players staking $10 each create a $20 pot, and the winner is paid $18. The minimum stake is $2.50per player. Deposits through PayPal land instantly, and both stakes sit in escrow — not in either player's wallet — from the moment the match is accepted until the result is confirmed.
The full arithmetic, including what the fee pays for, is on the pricing page.
Where should you start?
If you have never staked a match, read how the loop works first, then the page for your game. If you are deciding whether to trust the platform at all, start with the legitimacy page — it is the one that lists what Locked cannot claim.
- How a Locked money match worksChallenge, escrow, play, submit the result. The whole loop, including what happens when the two players disagree.
- Pricing and feesLocked charges 10% of the total pot and nothing on deposits or withdrawals. The arithmetic, with worked examples.
- The welcome offerThe first-deposit match for new players, with its minimum, playthrough and expiry stated next to it.
- Play EA FC for money1v1 EA Sports FC for a stake: match rules, what a pot pays, and which editions are live in the picker right now.
- Play EA FC 26 for moneyThe edition most of the lobby is still on: what a pot actually pays at each stake, the five things that go wrong in a match, and who should sit this out.
- Play EA FC 27 for moneyThe new edition, stakeable from early access: its modes, the cross-play rules that decide who you can face, and why FC 26 stays live alongside it.
- Play Madden for moneyH2H Seasons rules, MUT via Play A Friend, cross-play limits, and which Madden Locked actually runs today.
- Play Madden 26 for moneyThe older Madden, still stakeable alongside Madden NFL 27 because the two run on separate servers — with its modes, cross-play limits and stake floor.
- Play NBA 2K for moneyQuarter length, team type, and the difference between playing a 2K match for money and betting on someone else's.
- Play NBA 2K26 for moneyThe older 2K, still stakeable alongside NBA 2K27 — with quarter length, team rules and what the pot pays.
- How to find someone to play for moneyThe four routes to an opponent, why the edition you own decides who you can face, and what to check before staking against a stranger.
- Cash tournaments: entry fee, prize pool, payoutHow a Locked cup differs from a 1v1: one entry fee, a pool published before registration, several finishers paid — with the arithmetic of who funds it.
- Players' Lounge alternatives comparedSeven platforms side by side on fees, minimum stake, games and dispute handling — competitors included fairly.
- Is Locked legit?Escrow mechanics, dispute turnaround, payout reality — and a plain list of what Locked cannot claim yet.
- Is playing video games for money legal?Skill versus chance, the three tests states apply, and what UIGEA does. General information, not legal advice.
- EA FC 26 Welcome Cup — the full payout table64 entrants, 16 paid, $200 distributed, every winner listed by name and amount. Also the page to start on if you have not picked a game yet.
- Madden 26 Welcome Cup — the full payout table30 entrants, 8 paid, $200 distributed. Same page covers Madden 26 1v1 rules and the $2.50 stake floor.
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.