In this section you will find common FAQ weight loss betting questions about online weight loss betting sites, friendly online challenges, local programs, and DIY hosting your own weight loss challenges.
Wagering on Losing Weight Common Questions
1. Is Online Weight Loss Betting Apps like HealthyWage and DietBet a scam?
Although you do need to do your due diligence on the specific betting site, the two more popular ones do not appear to be SCAMS.
They do pay out and pay on time.
There are some complaints from customers who didn’t get their prize money, or complained that they want their money back. These incidents can be easily explained as valid by reviewing the weight loss challenge rules. In the majority of circumstances where the customer complains about not getting their prize, it is because they didn’t follow the rules. For more on this here are a few complaints regarding no prize payouts.
2. How Do I Get Started?
Signing up is easy. You will need to choose the challenge(s) to participate in, the amount of money you are willing to wager on your weight loss, and the timeframe you need to reach your weight loss goal.
Generally the signup steps are:
Step-1: make sure you are ready to start before plugging in your credit card number. The clock starts ticking as soon as you pay.
Step 2: if you have a choice, decide what game(s) you want to play
Step 3: you decide on how much weight you want to lose.
Step 4: and the timeframe you need to lose the weight.
Step 5: choosing your prize amount. To help it go smoother for you, there are just a few simple steps that you can do that could really help you to maximize your Prize.
Step 6: find out if there are any recent or valid coupons or bonuses you can apply to your winnings.
For more detail on each of the steps see: Weight Loss Challenge sign up steps.
3. Can I Join as Part of a Group?
Absolutely! You can join a weight loss wager group in various ways. There are different types of challenges like Team Challenges where you can have your own team, or join one already playing. There are Jackpot Challenges where you all compete for one jackpot amount. The downside of these is they don’t pay out much.
Another type of team betting weight loss challenges can be organised through your work. There are Corporate Challenges too where you can have several “in-house” teams competing against one another.
4. Can I Participate in More than One Challenge at a Time?
If the rules allow it, yes you can. This is one method that some people use to help maximize their prize money. By maximizing your weight loss bet winnings you really can bet against the house and win!
Some established online weight loss betting companies like HealthyWage will allow you to sign up for up to 10 different challenges. You can also sign up for other business challenges at the same time. This is how you can really rake in the prize money during one weight loss effort. ( see: weight loss challenge maximize prize winning strategies )
5. Can I Really Win $10,000 Just by Losing Weight?
Yes and No. This $10,000 prize gloat comes from HealthyWage and frankly, it appears that they play a little fast and loose with the whole “Win $10,000” boast. It seems this is also a fairly common complaint among people who don’t seem to be able to make the numbers work in their favour.
For starters the “Prize” is the total amount which includes your wager. So if you bet $200 a month for 18 months on your weight loss, $3600 of the “Prize” is actually the money you have put in.
If you go through the website you will see the vast majority of people don’t win $10,000 and if you use the calculator and play with your own numbers you will see you won’t be able to either.
If you do find the ones who did win the $10,000 weight loss wager like these two woman (below), you can break it down and see how they did it.
This woman LOST 41LBS wager $167/mo for 18 mo + total invested $3006 with a profit of $6994. And this woman LOST 54 LBS – wager $3000 over 10 months for a profit of $7000 (*)
Maximize YOUR Winnings: Here is where you can work the numbers to your favour. This helps figure out how you can get the biggest prize available to you. Take the time to strategize before you bet on your weight loss.
It has been reported that HealthyWage does change their algorithm from time to time and without notice that can directly affect the actual winnings you can get. ( see: the dark side of weight loss betting )
6. How and When do I collect My Weight Loss Winnings?
The vast majority of the online weight loss betting winners get paid quickly. Usually within days of verifying their final weight loss weigh-in. You can be paid through PayPal – which is the fastest way to go. However, if you are expecting a large payout, you might want to be paid by cheque instead. HealthyWage charges a $7 fee for a cheque, and PayPal will charge around $2.9% plus and additional conversion fee if applicable. So if you do win a $10,000 prize (for example) – it would cost you less to take the cheque. ( go here: for more information on the hidden costs to win.)
On very rare occasions you may have a short delay before they authorize your winning. If your final weigh-in verification doesn’t go smoothly, you may have to re-do it. This might mean you will need to hold on to your weight loss until a second verification. This can be a real issue if you made your final weight by last minute efforts like dehydrating with diuretics or purged with a colon cleanse. Although it is fairly difficult to cheat during a HealthyWager, people do try it.
7. Is it True You Have to Maintain Your Weight Loss for 6 Months Before You Can Collect Your Weight Loss Prize Winnings?
No. That is not true.
8. Does Betting on Your Weight Loss Really Help to Lose Weight?
According to HealthyWage they have an average success rate of 30%. So 3 out of 10 people who sign up and place their weight loss bets actually win. They also maintain that the average payout (most recently reported) is $1,331. However they don’t clarify if that includes the original money bet. Regardless of the amount of money actually won, if you compare the success statistics with the industry norm of only 5% success, this means your
The reasoning applied as to why this works is because it triggers both a negative and a positive motivation. Here is more information about the effectiveness of why betting money on your weight loss works
9. How Can I Know if Betting Money on My Weight Loss Will Work for Me?
Taking the leap to spend your hard earned money on a bet can be a bit scary. The good thing about this type of fear is the possibility of losing money can be a big motivator. As much of a motivator, if not moreso, than the possibility of winning money.
But you know you best. No doubt you have tried to diet in the past and it didn’t stick. Now you are looking for the right type of motivation to get you through it. So is the possibility of winning prize money enough of a motivator for you? Is the fear of losing your money enough?
There is a 🤓UIZ that might help you finally decide whether or not you are ready for the big leap of wagering on your weight loss. The will it work for me QUIZ link can be found below, just take it and see.
10. How do Online Weight Loss Betting Sites Verify My Weight?
The majority of weight loss programs, including the ones you bet money on, only require two “verified” weigh-ins AFTER you have paid your weight loss bet. One at the very beginning, and one close to or at the very end. Some people like to post their progress as they go along but these are often not regulated or verified.
Alternatively a local community challenge may require that you have a physical weigh-ins each week. Especially if there are points and penalties being applied weekly.
To start and qualify for your winnings, you do need to verify your weight.
Here are a few options:
1. Video: This can be done either by using the app to record and send straight from your phone, OR you can just make the video and then upload it to the website. To make your video you need to follow specific steps or it will be rejected. You can use the video weigh-in verification method by yourself.
2. Have a Health Professional Sign Off: Inside the membership area you will be access to a “VerifyMe!” form that you can download. Take it to a health professional that can weigh you and attest to your weight. The choices include places and people like your local pharmacy, gym, chiropractor, personal trainer, medical advisor, walk-in or wellness clinic etc.
You might think it would be easy to cheat using a simple fake signature but they might just check. It is also in their rules that if you are caught cheating on your weight loss bet, you and your signator, can potentially be in trouble for falsifying a legal document.
Before you even think of gaming their system you might want to carefully read the legal rules and regulations.
3. Weight Watchers Weigh-In: Weight Watchers is mentioned separately as they are a trusted company. It isn’t uncommon for a person who attends Weight Watchers meetings to also join in on a Weight Loss Challenge Wager. If you do belong to a WW group, just ask the weigh-in coach to sign your form, or help video your weigh-in.
11. Can I Cancel My Weight Loss Bet?
Maybe. It depends on which company you placed your bet with. HealthyWage is a firm NO! Whereas DietBet is much more lenient. Other private weight loss challenges that use monetary incentives may be more empathetic to the trials of dieting.
Generally, the majority of weight loss challenges that collect money for betting on your weight loss will either refund some of your money, and/or at least allow you to cancel the remaining payments. It is also common to charge a nominal administration cancellation fee.
If this concern about getting a refund is troubling, then it may not be your time to bet on losing weight just yet. Maybe if you wait until you have a bit more confidence in your ability to reach your goals. Come back to the idea of betting on your weightloss when you feel strong enough to be able to stick with it for at least 6 months.
12. Can I Participate in a Weight Loss Wager Challenge While Pregnant
The majority of the programs say no. Mostly because dieting and focusing on weight loss during pregnancy isn’t prescribed as a healthy choice. Growing a new human takes a lot of calories.
13. Can I use Surgical Weight Loss Methods to Win a Weight Loss Bet
No. They all say this is against the rules unless you have had the surgery a year or more prior to starting your bet.
Again, it seems like you could cheat this way. By scheduling your bariatric surgery or liposuction during your wager time you could potentially win and they wouldn’t know. But if they find out they could potential take legal action against you.
14. Is Betting on Losing Weight Safe?
The individual who asked this question wasn’t really clear on whether they meant A.“is betting on weight loss safe where it concerns giving them my credit card info?” or B.“is betting on weight loss safe for my health?” So here is the answer for each.
A. Before you give any online (or offline business for that matter) your credit information, it is best to do your own due-diligence to check out complaints. You might be interested to read more about is it SECURE to give my credit and personal identification online?
B. Betting on your weight loss may or may not be a healthy choice. You can do it in a healthy way by following a nutrient rich meal program that follows the recommended health guidelines. Plus add the recommended fitness activities also recommended by health authorities. But as indicated here in the section Potentially Unhealthy Weight Loss in “The Dark Side of Weight Loss Gambling” there could be a potential health issue if you don’t follow a proper diet.
15. What is the Percentage of People Who Actually Win Money for Losing Weight?
The average number given by the top diet wager businesses is 30%. That is a 500% increase over the very low industry average of only 5% who reach their goal.
16. Do I have to Pay to Use the Online Diet Betting Websites?
You do have to pay for HealthyWage and DietBet. There are other alternatives that have access but they don’t have the same Prize offerings. Here is a bit more information on wagering using the HealthyWage platform.
17. What is the Catch?
It is reasonable to be wary about any company claiming to give you money for just losing weight. Especially since you need to shell out money and your personal information first. Over the years there have been a variety of weight loss scams. However, once you have checked out the lose weight wagering company of interest, and found they are legitimate, the next question is “what is the catch?”
Quite simply the “catch” for most of these weight loss betting businesses happens when people participating don’t do their upfront research and lose their money because they either didn’t follow the rules, or didn’t familiarize themselves with the nuances of the “game”.
For more detailed account and examples of this read What’s the Catch – Getting Paid Money for Losing Weight
18. What was the HealthyWage Scandal?
One of the biggest uproars resulting in a rash of public complaints, had to do with the introduction of the Yo-Yo Rule. The rule ( which goes into further explanation here ) essentially says; you cannot be paid to lose the same weight twice! It was introduced while some people were in the middle of their challenge. A number of individuals were notified that their current wager was disqualified and their bet terminated because of this new Yo-Yo rule. This caused quite the ruckus as they fought for their refunds.
19. If You Get Paid to Recruit Your Friends into Wagering On Their Weight Loss – Isn’t That an MLM?
One of the ways you can maximize your weight loss winnings is by recruiting friends and others to join into wagering on their own weight loss. Whereas an MLM (Multi Level Marketing) is essentially where you get paid to get others to also recruit others and on and on. The diet betting programs have rules in place that ensure you cannot do this. As well, your involvement is limited by your own bet duration and winning status.
You can however sign up as an “affiliate” which will pay you for every person that signs up whether you know them or not. It’s easy and all you do is fill out a form and wait for approval. Here is more information to find out more about becoming a HealthyWage affiliate.
20. Do You Have to Pay Taxes on Your Weight Loss Winnings?
People who reside in the USA are subject to tax on their weight loss winnings. Other countries have their own sets of rules regarding gambling but the diet betting companies seem to record your winnings as a form of “income”. At this juncture it doesn’t appear that the weight loss wagering companies withhold any of your winnings for tax purposes but may issue a tax form.
If this is a concern then you can probably get clarification from your own accountant specific to your situation. Or possibly call the local tax office and ask for clarification regarding your own circumstances and tax obligations.
21. Are Weight Loss Challenges for Money Fair?
Deciding on whether or not a weight loss challenge is fair can be a sticky subject. If you are just betting on your own weight loss goal it is likely more fair than a team challenge. However, the algorithms seem to offer larger prizes for women than men with the same parameters.
Before considering joining a challenge, especially when there is money involved, you may want to examine the things that can make it unfair or unbalanced. For example; team challenges that payout only for the largest percent of weight lost will disproportionately favour men and persons who begin the challenge very obese. If you only have 10 lbs to lose, you will likely lose your bet.
If you only have a few pounds to lose, there are other challenges that are more focused on health and activity. In this event you can accumulate as many points or even MORE points than the person who loses the most weight.
22. Is Betting Money on Your Weight Loss Fun?
Whether or not diet betting is fun depends on your definition of fun. Competition, games and challenges can be fun, and both HealthyWage and DietBet say they are fun. But neither offers entertainment or any real “fun” structure of any sort. You do need to create your own merriment.
Potentially losing your money can be quite un-fun. To make it more enjoyable perhaps take some time to pre-plan your weight loss betting event before you sign up. Joining up with a community or planning out fun little rewards for yourself for achieving mini-goals and your BIG goals can help to make your weight loss event fun.
23. What Kind of Support is Offered
There is little or no support offered by the companies themselves. They express that your support is provided in their forums where other players and previous players are there to encourage and offer tips.
If it is encouragement and support you need then you may want to also invest in a diet/fitness group in your local community.
24. What is better? A Group or Individual Weight Loss Bet?
Each of the weight loss “game” styles have their merit. Your chances of winning more money comes from an individual diet betting wager. But it may be easier to win by joining a group and/or the jackpot diet betting pools that payout more easily.
Take the time to familiarize yourself with the various kinds of paid weight loss challenges there are to choose from.
25. How do I Know How Much Money I Will Win?
The money won from these weight loss betting programs can vary greatly. HealthyWage boasts that an individual can win up to $10,000. However, on their Winners Page they have only listed 2 people who have won that amount.
They do have a nifty prize calculator that you can use to help figure out your maximum prize. Be aware that total “Prize” amount also includes your payments. Here we have helped to figure out some ways to configure the numbers to maximize your weight loss betting profits.
NOTICE: This is just a general overview of the more popular online weight loss betting sites. The individual companies do change their terms and rules from time to time. Because of that, you may want to read and verify the rules and terms first on the website specific to the program you are interested in joining.
🤔 If you are still on the fence about signing up and betting money on your weight loss, try our Weight Loss Betting QUIZ to see if it’s right for you.
*After having scoured through their “winners” pages, there didn’t seem to be any other participants who won $10,000
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