Kickback (gaming)
 | |
Type of site | Electronic sports |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Headquarters | San Francisco |
| Founder(s) | Mark Prokoudine and Vlad Nov |
| Slogan(s) | Do what you love. |
| Website |
kickback |
| Alexa rank |
 25,265 (October 2016)[1] |
| Registration | Free |
| Launched | February 2, 2015 |
| Current status | Online |
Kickback.com is a gaming platform that lets users play video games for cash prizes. Players of any skill level can enter ranked matches and wager real money for a chance to win more using their skills in-game. Kickback integrates on top of popular existing games, where the service adds matchmaking, anti-cheat, support and payouts.[2] These features are available to all users, but are made optional for users playing for fun. The site, which was founded by Mark Prokoudine and Vlad Nov in November 2014, is now backed by Y Combinator.[3][4]
History
The website kickback.com launched on February 2, 2015 in San Francisco, California by hosting paid tournaments in Minecraft. Players deposited $5.00 and competed against one another in player-versus-player matches for a chance to win $100.[5] On March 2, 2015, Kickback announced its Y Combinator backing and integration with PayPal. On December 1, 2015, Kickback began allowing users to wager virtual items in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
Games Offered
Kickback offers a variety of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive games. Users are matched player versus player with the objective of defeating an opponent through in-game kills. Each match allows users to win between $1.00 and $100.00.[6] The site runs daily events that are free to enter and award real prizes.
Legality
Kickback is able to operate in United States and Canada because video games are classified as games of skill, not chance by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.[7] To win money, players are required to defeat opponents through superior skill, reaction time and game knowledge.[8]
References
- ↑ "Kickback.com Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
- ↑ David Wiers (2015-03-02). "Competitive Minecraft Has a New Option". TechGraphs. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
- ↑ Kyle Russell (2015-03-02). "YC Backed Kickback Offers an Easy Way to Play Minecraft Competitively". Techcrunch. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
- ↑ Silk.co (2015-04-02). "YC W15 Companies". Silk.co.
- ↑ Alexandria Taberski (2015-03-05). "Competitive Minecraft with Kickback". techraptor.net. Retrieved 2015-04-02.
- ↑ Brian Weis (2015-03-25). "Game Change: Why Kickback Is A Slam Dunk For The E-Sports Industry". Retrieved 2015-04-02.
- ↑ Dennis M. P. Ehling, Blank Rome LLP (2015-04-02). "Skill gaming in the United States" (PDF). cashplay.co.
- ↑ "How is Kickback legal?". 2015-12-02.
