Is it worth participating in online quizzes on YouTube?

I've tried participating in these a few times myself to check it out - the money really does get handed out sometimes, but it all depends on the specific YouTuber. A lot of smaller channels pay winners honestly, but with big bloggers it often turns out to be just hype for racking up likes and subscribers. The golden rule: if you have to pay to enter or send money somewhere upfront - that's a scam, don't touch it. If you're just watching a livestream and answering for free, then you've got nothing to lose, but don't count on it to save your life either.

It depends on the channel - I have acquaintances who've won small amounts on smaller streams, but usually it's not more than enough for a coffee. On big channels, most of the time either your chances of winning are really slim, or there are conditions you have to meet (subscription, reposts, comments) that end up being disappointing.

The problem is that it's almost impossible to check a channel's honesty beforehand. The previous answer is right that small channels often do pay out, but that's no guarantee. Big YouTubers really do sometimes give away money - it's like advertising for them - but not always and not to everyone. The main thing: if they're handing out prizes at all, they almost never spend large sums on it. Expect hundreds, not thousands.

Before you participate, check the comments on this channel's previous quizzes. Look for complaints that people didn't get their prizes, or on the flip side - thank yous from winners. If comments are disabled or everyone's saying it's a scam - skip it. Also look at the channel's age and subscriber count: a brand new account with a million views is a red flag.

In any case, you can participate, but treat it like a lottery, not a way to make money. If you do decide to try, don't spend money on prep or buying access - just answer the questions. And don't waste hours on these quizzes hoping to win. Your time's worth more.

YouTube creators do actually hand out real money and prizes, but the scale depends on how big the channel is and how they fund it. Some spend their own money, some bring in sponsors, and that significantly affects the size of the winnings and the fairness of the giveaway. The other answers above correctly pointed out checking the channel's history through comments, but there's a nuance people often miss: even if a channel was honest about paying out before, that doesn't mean they'll pay you. Some YouTubers with good reputations eventually start running "convoluted" giveaway rules - like requiring you to subscribe to five accounts, turn on notifications, share the post, and then suddenly find a reason why your entry supposedly didn't meet the terms.

The probability of winning is inversely proportional to the channel's popularity, and on big streams with hundreds of thousands of viewers, your chances are basically zero. Participating only makes sense if you're ready to spend time meeting the requirements without expecting to win, and if you find the process entertaining. If you care about specific prizes rather than just the thrill, look at previous giveaways on that channel: don't just read the glowing comments, but check out the skeptical ones too, and search for posts like "I won but never got the money" or "where's my prize from three months ago."

I'll add a practical tip: it only makes sense to participate if you actually want to watch the stream, not for the money. The prizes there are often just symbolic, or they're given away so rarely that mathematically you'll just be wasting your time. That said, be careful with channels that ask you to enter something in the chat - phone numbers, links, personal data - that's a red flag. Better to go with well-known YouTubers who have a good reputation, ones where people in the comments actually write that they got their winnings.

Don't count on winning - even if the channel is legit, the odds are usually tiny. Instead, check if the YouTuber has run similar giveaways before and whether there are screenshots in the comments from people who actually got prizes (not just claims, but proof). If there's nothing like that or the channel is brand new, it's better to skip it, because the risk of wasting your time is way higher than your chances of winning.

Actually, the question "should you" is wrong to begin with - should you be expecting to win, or should you spend your time? If you're going there specifically for money, then no, your chances are tiny, especially on big channels where there are thousands of participants. But if you're already watching the stream anyway - you might as well participate, it won't hurt.

A lifehack that works for me: before you join, go to the YouTuber's channel and see how often they run these quizzes. If they're handing out "prizes" every day, that's a red flag - it's probably either fake, or the amounts are so small it's not worth it. But if the quizzes are rare and serious, it's more likely the organizer is running them honestly.

Before you participate, check the stream archive on that channel - look for evidence that people actually received their prizes. Comments under videos, thank-you mentions in later streams, screenshots of transfers - all that shows whether it's legit. If the channel is new and there's barely any history, the risk is higher. Big channels rarely pull scams openly, but your chances of winning are way lower because of how many people enter.

I had this experience once where I entered a quiz on a small board games channel. The channel had been around for a couple of years, and people in the comments kept saying they'd gotten their winnings. I won too, though the amount was pretty small - enough for a couple of purchases. But the important part: the creator asked for my transfer details, sent the money honestly, no excuses or delays. So with quality channels, it's all good.

But here's the thing - even if the YouTuber is legit, your odds are usually terrible. If you do enter, only do it if you don't mind wasting the time, and the prize is just a bonus, not the goal. The main thing is don't fall for channels that deliberately give away small change just to get people to subscribe and turn on notifications.