Computer Role-Playing Games

I´m a fan of video games, specially people´s simulators. I know that some countries have big championships of video games but, until recently, I didn´t know about Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games.
MMORPG, or MMO are a type of computer games in which many users can interact in a virtual world. The player adopts a fictional character and controls it´s actions in the game. The main difference from common video games is the virtual world exists even when characters aren´t playing.
The MMO world is also a business, referred to as RMT or Real Money Trade. In this business, players can exchange the game currency for real money. Some of the most popular MMO are World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy, Age of Conan, EverQuest Lineage 22, and Pirates of the Burning Sea. This games use gold, or Vanguard Gold as it's currency, which can be traded online in e-commerce websites that sell virtual currency.
I wonder if there´s many people making a living out of this. I saw on the news that there´s a good Portuguese player living of online games but I´m not sure if it´s this type or simple video game championships.