Moneybags is far from a saint but I consider him a neutral agent and possibly a sociopath considering his lack of remorse for any of his actions.

There is an article pertaining to the early development of Ripto's Rage which calls him a "Crooked Polician" which if you closely analyze the game's dialouge and cut scenes makes sense.

"Moneybags comes across as something of a crooked politician if you read into the game’s dialogue (thank you to CrystalFissure for emphasising its importance) and analyse the cutscenes. We learn, for example, that it was he who sold weaponry to the Breezebuilders in Zephyr, arguably causing their war with the Landblubbers. Furthermore, in Summer Forest and Autumn Plains, we see that when Moneybags is displaced, it serves as a signal that Ripto has taken over, which would make Moneybags out to be some kind of authority figure…perhaps the Mayor of Avalar?"
- http://slidespin.tv/spyro-2-slightly-ru … comment-83

In 'Year of the Dragon' in particular, it is obvious that he supports neither the protagonists or the antagonists but rather caters to whoever he can get what he wants from, gems.

Note the unlocking of the alternate playable characters, how he was paid to take on the job of maintaining their prisons but was more than willing to solicit their freedom to the foe of his employer to get paid again. This also applies to certain access points that must be unlocked through him, such as the above mention of the Penguin in Frozen Alters whose flipper was injured, presumably by Moneybags based on his comment before you enter the area. He's paid to keep Spyro out of these particular areas but will gladly be swayed by gems.     

Spyro, like any character he's served, is just someone else to gain from, someone with a strong purpose in a desperate situation, neither a hero or villain to him. If you pay attention, almost every time you pay him for access to a part of a level that is required to complete it (a bridge, bellows, a sealed door etc, even the access portal to a world or two such as Zephyr and Icy Speedway), he makes a remark where he basically regards Spyro as a sucker or an appreciated source of reliable income. At least once he even had to cut himself off as he'd actually started to use the word 'sucker'.

Taking into account that access through a given world should be controlled by the natives and that presumably, he's about 60% of the time in the combined duration of both games acting of his own free will, as not all these tasks are evident of being given to him by the antagonist, particularly in Ripto's Rage where he doesn't directly work for its antagonist, he may be providing Spyro with what he needs but is essentially intentionally scamming him. Just the same, he'd also effectively scammed Ripto by suggestively supporting him in selling him bombs then assisting Spyro in his defeat (hell, who knows maybe he was secretly working for Ripto) and then the Sorceress in 'Year of the Dragon' in allowing Spyro to pay him to "fail" the tasks she'd given him.

His truest loyalty is to himself.

As I play 'Year of the Dragon' now, oh how I wish I could avoid paying him. I'm really going to enjoy the end of the game where you get to flame his *bleep* and claim back your gems.

I haven't had the opportunity to play Ripto's Rage (Gateway To Glimmer) yet.  So, I can only go by what I've seen of him in Year Of The Dragon, and by what other people say.  But I really want to play Ripto's Rage!

There is an article pertaining to the early development of Ripto's Rage which calls him a "Crooked Polician" which if you closely analyze the game's dialouge and cut scenes makes sense.

"Moneybags comes across as something of a crooked politician if you read into the game’s dialogue (thank you to CrystalFissure for emphasising its importance) and analyse the cutscenes. We learn, for example, that it was he who sold weaponry to the Breezebuilders in Zephyr, arguably causing their war with the Landblubbers. Furthermore, in Summer Forest and Autumn Plains, we see that when Moneybags is displaced, it serves as a signal that Ripto has taken over, which would make Moneybags out to be some kind of authority figure…perhaps the Mayor of Avalar?"
- http://slidespin.tv/spyro-2-slightly-ru … comment-83

In 'Year of the Dragon' in particular, it is obvious that he supports neither the protagonists or the antagonists but rather caters to whoever he can get what he wants from, gems.

Note the unlocking of the alternate playable characters, how he was paid to take on the job of maintaining their prisons but was more than willing to solicit their freedom to the foe of his employer to get paid again. This also applies to certain access points that must be unlocked through him, such as the above mention of the Penguin in Frozen Alters whose flipper was injured, presumably by Moneybags based on his comment before you enter the area. He's paid to keep Spyro out of these particular areas but will gladly be swayed by gems.     

Spyro, like any character he's served, is just someone else to gain from, someone with a strong purpose in a desperate situation, neither a hero or villain to him. If you pay attention, almost every time you pay him for access to a part of a level that is required to complete it (a bridge, bellows, a sealed door etc, even the access portal to a world or two such as Zephyr and Icy Speedway), he makes a remark where he basically regards Spyro as a sucker or an appreciated source of reliable income. At least once he even had to cut himself off as he'd actually started to use the word 'sucker'.

Taking into account that access through a given world should be controlled by the natives and that presumably, he's about 60% of the time in the combined duration of both games acting of his own free will, as not all these tasks are evident of being given to him by the antagonist, particularly in Ripto's Rage where he doesn't directly work for its antagonist, he may be providing Spyro with what he needs but is essentially intentionally scamming him. Just the same, he'd also effectively scammed Ripto by suggestively supporting him in selling him bombs then assisting Spyro in his defeat (hell, who knows maybe he was secretly working for Ripto) and then the Sorceress in 'Year of the Dragon' in allowing Spyro to pay him to "fail" the tasks she'd given him.

His truest loyalty is to himself.

As I play 'Year of the Dragon' now, oh how I wish I could avoid paying him. I'm really going to enjoy the end of the game where you get to flame his *bleep* and claim back your gems.

oh, and in Frozen Altars, with cat hockey, he says something about how he "hopes the home team doesn't have any... unfortunate accidents" or something. then you go into the area, and the penguin tells you how he injured his flipper. so basically Moneybags was behind that.

Can someone answer my question please?
I always wondered this because he is always asking for gems off Spyro...