What’s the deal with Fortnite wagers?

We all know they are going on, but there are a lot of ethical questions associated with wagers in Fortnite.

With no major events being announced since the Winter Royale, many competitive Fortnite players have turned to Creative mode wagers to fill the downtime. From 1 v 1 Box Fights, to 3 v 3 Zone Wars, there are plenty of ways for serious gamers to keep their mechanics on point whilst earning some bonus cash and clout.

good stream, going to sleep we are still undefeated 77-0 and we are most likely going to wager Wolfiez Letshe and CRR for the 100th win goodnight boys

— Code: YoSway #ad (@FaZeSway) January 21, 2020

However, with the majority of players being underage, the community have recently been debating whether these wagers count as gambling. The short answer is yes. Although they rely on skill more than luck, you are still risking money. In a lot of cases, kids are donating just to have the chance to fight a popular streamer when realistically they have no chance of winning.

Someone who has done his fair share of wagering is Misfits Gaming star “Clix”. He made well over $2000 during his 107 Box Fight win streak and has earned plenty more since. In a recent Tweet Clix stated, “I think it’s a type of gambling but wagers aren’t based on luck, it’s based on your skill. If you take fair/smart wagers you will never lose money and only gain”. With his insane win rate it’s easy to see why he feels that way, but most people aren’t capable of that.

I don't think it's gambiling, I think its a type of gambling but wagers aren't based on luck, its based on your skill. If you take fair/smart wagers you will never lose money and only gain.

— Clix (@ClixHimself) January 21, 2020

Along with issues around the ethics of wagering, come some other shady antics. “The Fortnite Guy” broke the news that a wager Discord channel exists which charges players $200 to join. With people being scammed left and right already, the owner is promoting this Discord as a way of guaranteeing “safe wagers”. However, it doesn’t sound at all legit and $200 is an insane charge for this service.

This sounds like a pyramid scheme. The owner is getting rich by promoting “safe wagers” when in reality he’s just pocketing everyone’s money and probably can’t guarantee that no one gets scammed. Seems shady af.

— The Fortnite Guy (@The_FortniteGuy) January 21, 2020

This Discord channel also features a referral system which gives members a percentage of the joining fee for anyone they bring in. As The Fortnite Guy said on Twitter, this sounds very much like a pyramid scheme.

All in all, there are definitely some serious concerns around wagering in Fortnite. Since it is mainly competitive players and pros who are doing this, it will undoubtedly die down once a new tournament is announced, but it is unlikely to stop completely. I would encourage against it, but if you are getting involved just remember to be careful, and not to risk anything you can’t afford to lose.