To earn cash to play online casino

Electronic Arts' Web site once existed primarily to offer matchmaking services for players of some of its retail games, including popular sports titles such as NHL 2001 and FIFA 2001 MLS. Though players can still find opponents at EA.com, the site has evolved into a full-blown gaming service, with a wealth of content and unique games.

Earlier this year, EA.com acquired Pogo.com, so that site's many puzzle and casino-style games are now offered through the EA site. You can actually win cash by doing well in such games as the addictive puzzle game Poppit and casino games like slots and roulette; you play against the computer and earn prize tokens, which you can use to play again or to buy chances in weekly cash prize drawings. EA.com also offers some excellent online-only games, such as the conspiracy/mystery game Majestic.

In the coming months, the site will add Motor City Online and The Sims Online (see our online exclusive "The Future of Online Gaming"). Some pay-to-play games are included in EA.com's Platinum service ($9.99 a month), but others incur separate monthly costs.

The site's only downfall is a convoluted design and interface. It takes a bit of searching, for example, to figure out which retail games offer a matchmaking feature.

Copyright ?? 2004 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in PC Magazine.