Thomas Palmer of Sauquoit has grown up playing video games.

"We used to have a Sega Genesis, and it was when I was like 5, and now I'm here at 27, so I've been gaming all my life," he said.

Palmer still plays video games, and he's pretty good. He recently competed in a "League of Legends" tournament as part of an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas.

"It was only like a one-time thing at the moment, but like, one of my one true goals is to be a popular streamer online," Palmer said.

Palmer competed on the eSports team Rome Revolution eSports. It's a team with the LAN Mob Gaming Center in Rome. The center opened in 2015, and it's seeing more and more interest in gaming.

"We started the eSports team about a year ago, and we've been competing in nationals, and masters and others. Yeah it's absolutely a viable career path," said LAN Mob Gaming Center owner Aaron Wade.

There are other opportunities to earn money in the video gaming industry, and the interest there is growing, too.

"There's shoutcasting, production crews, filming, interviewing. A huge industry is growing around it," Wade said. "I heard in the last five years it's actually doubled its size, so growing very quickly."

Palmer's team came in fourth place, winning $1,000. He got $200, as it was divided among the five-person team, and he hopes to have more opportunities to compete professionally.