How paid tournaments work on PlayChamp

PlayChamp lets you run and join tournaments with real Gram entry fees. Money stays on the platform until the event settles — you do not pay the organizer’s personal wallet to enter. This guide explains how paid tournaments work end to end: joining, creating, verification, trust scores, reporting, withdrawals, and fees.

If you only need deposit and withdraw basics, see our earlier post on Gram payments. Below focuses on the paid tournament flow itself.

What a paid tournament is

A paid tournament is a normal PlayChamp event with a Gram entry fee. When a player joins, that fee leaves their PlayChamp balance and moves into the tournament pot (escrow). The pot builds as more players enter. When the organizer distributes prizes at the end, winners are credited on PlayChamp. An organizer may also take an optional cut of the pot (0–10%, default 0%). PlayChamp takes a 3% platform fee from the pot.

Public and private (invite) free tournaments still exist. Paid is an extra entry type, and only verified organizers can turn it on.

How to join a paid tournament

You need enough Gram on your PlayChamp balance to cover the entry fee. Deposit from Account → Deposit. Send Gram from Tonkeeper, Telegram Wallet, or any wallet that supports the network. Any amount credits to your balance. No memo or comment is required — your deposit address is unique to your account.

• Open the tournament page. For paid events, the organizer trust score appears near the top (out of 100).
• Tap Join. Confirm the entry fee. That amount moves from your balance into escrow.
• While registration is still open, leaving the tournament can refund your entry fee.
• After a successful paid join, PlayChamp shows a short safety note: if anything feels off, report the tournament.
• Play matches and submit scores as usual on PlayChamp.
• When prizes are distributed, winnings credit to your balance. Recent tournament winnings clear for 30 minutes before they can be withdrawn. There is also a rolling 50 Gram daily withdrawal limit. Withdrawals only go to the wallet you originally deposited from.

How to create a paid tournament

Creating a paid event is the same create flow as any other tournament, with one gate: your account must be verified. Unverified organizers can still create free public or private events. If you pick Paid (Gram) without verification, PlayChamp blocks that option and points you to get verified.

• Get verified (next section).
• Go to Create tournament and choose a format — knockout, round robin, group stage, squad, or a preset such as UCL / World Cup.
• In the entry step, select Paid (Gram). Set the entry fee, prize structure, and optional organizer cut (0–10%, default 0%).
• Finish the rest of the setup (rules, schedule, player limit, image) and publish.
• Share the tournament link. Players join with Gram from their PlayChamp balance; fees collect in the pot automatically.
• Run the event on PlayChamp. When it ends, distribute prizes from manage / prizes. A clean settle with no report hold raises your trust score.

How to get verified

Verification is free. It marks your account as reviewed and unlocks paid tournament creation. Players see the verified badge next to your name on tournament pages.

• Sign in, then open Account → Verification (path: /account/pro) and submit a verification request, or
• Use Contact (/contact) and ask an admin to verify your organizer account.
• After approval, Paid (Gram) becomes available in the create tournament entry step.

Organizer trust score

Paid tournament pages show an organizer trust score so players can judge a host before entering. The score is out of 100. New organizers with no history start at 80.

• 80 or higher → green (high trust). Below 70 → amber (average). Below 50 → red (low).
• Finishing a paid tournament peacefully — prizes settled, never held for a report — increases the score.
• When a participant reports a paid tournament and it is held for review, the score decreases.
• If an admin dismisses the report as false, most of that drop is restored. If the report is confirmed, the score drops further.
• The score is public on paid events. It cannot be edited from your profile settings.

Reports and holds

Only players who joined the tournament can report it. That stops outsiders from freezing events they were never in.

On a paid tournament, a report puts the event under review. New joins pause. Prize distribution pauses. The organizer is notified. Admins are notified so they can investigate. If prizes were already distributed, winnings tied to that tournament stay locked from withdrawal until an admin clears the report.

Report when rules are unclear, someone pressures you to pay outside PlayChamp, prizes look wrong, or anything else feels unsafe. Prefer one freeze for review over money leaving the platform before the issue is checked.

Withdrawals after you win

Prizes credit to your PlayChamp Gram balance. Deposited Gram that was never locked as recent winnings can still be withdrawn normally (subject to the daily cap). Tournament winnings need a short clear window: 30 minutes after they are credited. Withdrawals always return to the same address you first deposited from. Minimum withdrawal is 0.5 Gram. Fee is 1% with a floor of 0.08 Gram.

Fees

Example: if the organizer cut is 0%, about 97% of the collected pot is available for prizes after the 3% platform fee.

Common questions

Do I send Gram to the organizer? No. Entry fees go into the tournament pot on PlayChamp.

Can anyone create a paid tournament? No. Only verified organizers. Free tournaments remain open to all.

What if I joined and want my fee back? While registration is still open, leaving can refund the entry. After the event has started accepting play, refunds follow the tournament rules and admin process.

What does a hold mean for players already in? The event is paused for new joins and payouts. Admins review the report, then either clear the hold or take further action.

Where do I read about depositing Gram? See Gram is live on PlayChamp: deposit, compete, withdraw (/blog/gram-payments-live).

Next steps

Players: deposit Gram, open a paid tournament, check the trust score, then join. Organizers: get verified, create a tournament, choose Paid (Gram), set fees and prizes, and run the event on PlayChamp.