It may not be online casino gambling, but PC gamers now have more options to win cash and prizes via the internet. Thanks to SkillGround, which opened its virtual doors yesterday, video game fans now can earn money while playing their favorite free download PC games. An initiative of Groove Games, SkillGround offers a securitized and fair online gaming environment with several playing modes and some of the most popular online PC games to date. SkillGround does not offer standard casino games, poker or skill games like Gin Rummy or Online Backgammon, nor is it considered gambling.

Groove Games expertise lies in the area of video pc games, and has published more than twenty of their very own games. SkillGround currently offers War Path (Sci-Fi), Close Quarters Conflict (Military), L.A. Street Racing and Kung Fu: Deadly Arts. Later this summer SkillGround will feature Ultimate Tour Golf, with several more games to follow in the Fall. Each online PC game can be previewed on SkillGround's website, and also offer tutorials for beginners. Other playing modes include Practice, One on One, Eight Player Death Matches, Single Player Score-Based, and Progressive Tournament Games.

In their press release, SkillGround emphasized several key features of their software platform. In order to foster fair competition, players are ranked according to a scoring system and are then accordingly grouped when competing against one another. The software also uses computer fingerprinting to weed out cheats, and captures computer ping times from individual user's so that differing computer response times will not give one player more advantage over another (SkillGround advises players to seek out other players with ping times within 50 to 100 milliseconds of their own).

SkillGround certainly appears to be a popular choice for PC gamers. In its beta-testing phase, the SkillGround signed up 15,000 user's and hosted over 200,000 games. Players have the option of competing for cash or for fun. An online cashier, similar to those used at online casinos, accepts deposits via credit/debit cards, checks, wire transfers and PayPal. Right now, SkillGround is offering a 100% Match Bonus up to $30 Free for depositing players. Players should note that a Broadband internet connection is required to play online PC games at SkillGround.