What's the difference between these three Skillz games?

Same operator (Skillz), same cash-prize tournament model, different game mechanics. Pool Payday is 8-ball pool head-to-head matches. 21 Blitz is a solitaire/blackjack hybrid in 2-minute formats. Blackout Bingo combines bingo + Yahtzee-style scoring. Underlying economics are similar across all three.

Why are the restricted-state lists different?

Skillz updates state availability per-game based on state-AG case law and risk assessment. Blackout Bingo is restricted in 11 states (most conservative). Pool Payday and 21 Blitz are in only 7 states (matching list). The lists evolve over time — re-verify against the in-app region notice before depositing.

Which Skillz game has the highest payout potential?

Pool Payday tournaments offer the largest prize pools (up to $5,000 in featured tournaments). 21 Blitz and Blackout Bingo have smaller prize pools but more frequent tournaments. Top-decile players earn $8–$25/hr in any of the three; casual players net negative in all three.

Can I deposit into one Skillz wallet and use across games?

Yes — Skillz operates a unified wallet across all their games. Deposit once, play any Skillz game. Cashout pulls from the same wallet. This is materially better UX than Papaya games, which each have separate wallets.

Is Skillz the same as Solitaire Cash?

No — Solitaire Cash is made by Papaya, not Skillz. The similar-sounding Solitaire Smash IS made by Skillz, but it's not in our top-10 cluster. Skillz and Papaya are competitors who litigated against each other in 2024 (Skillz won $420M).

Money-Earning Games · Head-to-Head

Pool Payday vs 21 Blitz vs Blackout Bingo 2026: Which Skillz Game Earns More?

All three are made by Skillz (so same operator-trust baseline). The differences come down to gameplay genre, cashout speed, and per-state availability. We tested all three in 2026.

Verified by WalletGrower Editorial — May 21, 2026

Quick Verdict

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Blackout Bingo for cashout speed; Pool Payday for skill-leverage; 21 Blitz for quickest sessions

Blackout Bingo's under-4-hour PayPal cashout is the fastest in category. Pool Payday's physics-based head-to-head matchmaking rewards skill more cleanly. 21 Blitz's 2-minute matches fit micro-time windows best. All three share Skillz's trustworthy operator footprint (Skillz won the $420M case against rival Papaya in 2024).

Side-by-side specs

Spec	Pool Payday	21 Blitz	Blackout Bingo
Operator	Skillz	Skillz	Skillz
Editorial rating	★ 3.6 / 5	★ 3.5 / 5	★ 3.8 / 5
Best for	8-ball pool head-to-head matches under 5 minutes	Short 2-minute solitaire + blackjack hybrid matches	Fastest cashout in skill-game category
Platforms	iOS + Android	iOS + Android	iOS + Android
Min cashout	$10 (or $1.50 fee under $10)	20,000 tickets = $1 bonus cash threshold	No minimum (under $10 has $1.50–$2 fee)
Payment methods	PayPal, Apple Pay	PayPal, Apple Pay, Debit card	PayPal, Apple Pay, Debit card
Payout speed	5–10 business days	Varies — typically 3–7 business days	Same-day PayPal often <4 hours
Restricted states	AR, CT, DE, IN, LA, ME, SD	AR, CT, DE, IN, LA, ME, SD	AZ, AR, CT, DE, IN, LA, ME, MT, SC, SD, TN
Typical hourly rate	Net negative for ~70% of casual cash-entry players	Net negative for ~70% of casual cash-entry players	Net negative for ~70% of casual cash-entry players

Quick take on each

Pool Payday

3.6 / 5

Cleanest physics + head-to-head matchmaking in the skill-game category. Available in more states than Blackout Bingo (only 7 restricted). Cashout speed is slower than Blackout Bingo's, which is the trade-off.

Cleanest physics + head-to-head match design in skill-game category
Payout speed 5–10 business days (slower than Blackout Bingo)

Full Pool Payday review

21 Blitz

3.5 / 5

Quirky mashup of solitaire mechanics with blackjack scoring (cards must total 21). 2-minute matches make it ideal for between-task earning if you're in a non-restricted state. Same Skillz reliability as Pool Payday and Blackout Bingo.

2-minute matches — fits between tasks
Ticket-to-bonus-cash conversion is opaque (20,000 tickets = $1)

Full 21 Blitz review

Blackout Bingo

3.8 / 5

Best-in-class cashout speed (under 4 hours to PayPal is unusual). Skillz operator avoided the Papaya bot scandal — they were the plaintiff who won $420M against Papaya. Same skill-game caveat applies: ~70% of casual cash-entry players net negative, but if you're going to play paid tournaments, this is the most operationally trustworthy option.

Same-day PayPal cashout (often <4 hours) — fastest in category
Restricted in 11 states (AZ, AR, CT, DE, IN, LA, ME, MT, SC, SD, TN)

Full Blackout Bingo review

Which should you pick?

If you...	Pick this
Need fastest PayPal cashout	Blackout Bingo (often <4hr)
Have 2 minutes or less per session	21 Blitz (2-min matches)
Want skill to translate cleanly to winnings	Pool Payday (head-to-head 8-ball, cleanest matchmaking)
Live in Indiana, Maine, or South Dakota	All three are restricted. Try Papaya games (different restricted list) or non-cash-entry apps.
Live in Arizona or Tennessee	Pool Payday and 21 Blitz are available; Blackout Bingo is restricted.
Just want to try one to learn the Skillz model	Blackout Bingo (no minimum cashout = lowest-risk entry)

See live games on the WalletGrower offerwall

All three apps are listed in our offerwall when available in your region. Verified payout history — no bait-and-switch.

See verified games

Frequently asked questions

Picking among Skillz games is mostly a matter of genre preference and which restricted-state list you can avoid. All three are operationally trustworthy — Skillz's federal-court win against bot-rigging competitor Papaya is itself a strong trust signal.

Updated May 21, 2026.