I hope they check ages ect.....I could see some kids really getting screwed by this.
The Week in Video-Game News
Feb. 20, 2008, 12:48 AM EST
News from the virtual world:
—A RISKY BET: When Billy Levy and Zack Zeldin were roommates in Miami Beach, they played "Madden NFL" for $100 a game. Now the guys are betting that there are plenty of other gamers who like to "make things interesting," and they're about to start a Web site where players can put their money where their joystick thumbs are.
Once you register at Toronto-based WorldGaming's site, it will hook you up with other gamblers who want to challenge you at "Halo 3," "Tiger Woods PGA Tour" or about a dozen other games. After you put your money in escrow, you go to your console and play; WorldGaming will be able to track the competition and pay off the winner.
Levy says that since skill supersedes chance in video games, WorldGaming isn't considered a gambling arena, so it's legal in most of the United States. The site's founders haven't sought approval from Microsoft or Sony, the proprietors of the Xbox and PlayStation networks on which the actual competitions will take place. "We'd love that to happen," says marketing director Richard Santiago, "but we have some proving to do."
The entrepreneurs hope to make money from ads and fees for hosting online tournaments. In the meantime, they're giving away about $50,000 in prizes leading up to their April launch, and gamers with a taste for action are invited to help with beta testing at http://www.WorldGaming.com.