He advises his clients to pay quarterly taxes and gives guidance on retirement planning and budgeting. Like other freelance workers, gamer income can be unpredictable. There’s a growing cottage industry of lawyers, e-sport managers and accountants who advise gamers. As independent contractors, he advises them to separate their business and personal finances. Some gamers find themselves suddenly “accidental business owners,” Herbst de Cortina said. Financial advice for gamers (and other freelancers) On camera, they have to be engaging and entertaining, and then off camera, they’re running a business, he said. Viewers like to see not only their strategies, but also their reactions to the games. Many gamers, especially popular ones, spend eight or more hours per day, six days a week. Some younger clients even dropped out of college because they were making a full-time living gaming, Herbst de Cortina said. “They hear, ‘Oh, I do video stuff online,’ and they immediately think porn, not gaming.” Friends and family members sometimes ask them, “Do you do this with your clothes on?” Herbst de Cortina said. There are some misconceptions about what these gamers do, he said. And once they become popular, they rake in money from not only ads and “tips,” but also from endorsement deals, merchandise and advertising on their personal social media accounts. Video gamers are now performers and broadcasters when they appear on streaming. Think of how a Hollywood star makes money, Herbst de Cortina said.