A Vicksburg casino is trying to get its employees to lose big.

Lady Luck Casino has partnered with Shape Up Sisters, Wyatt’s Gym and Merit Health River Region hospital on a health and wellness program for its employees. The program includes discounted gym memberships, a weight loss challenge, and other initiatives designed to promote healthy living.

About 90 of the casino’s 300 employees are participating, Lady Luck’s marketing operations manager Jennifer Curro said, and she hopes more will join up as it continues beyond its first cycle.

“It’s not about the weight. It’s about changing your lifestyle,” Curro said. “It shows people are willing to take that step and make a change, and I think it says a lot about our company that people are willing to do that.”

The incentives offered up by the casino probably didn’t hurt the enrollment numbers. A $1,000 cash prize is being offered to the employee who loses the most weight. Second prize is $500 and third is $250.

Weight checks will be conducted every two weeks — the first is today — and the casino is paying half the membership dues to Wyatt’s Gym for 90 days for all employees in the program. Shape Up Sisters, meanwhile, will conduct the weight checks as well as exercise classes and other team-oriented activities for those in the program.

Lady Luck has also installed a walking track around its property off Warrenton Road that employees can use on their breaks. Each participating employee received a goody bag that included a pedometer so they could track their mileage.

Lady Luck vice president and general manager Paul Avery said the casino’s staff has gotten into the competition.

“Our employees were using the freight scale back in the warehouse to see where they were,” he said with a laugh. “Our goal is for each person to try to lose 10 percent. If we as a group lose 5 percent of our total weight, that’ll be a win. We also want to catch blood pressure and cholesterol so maybe we can prevent strokes or things like that.”

Although the weight loss competition is at the core of the program, its scope goes well beyond shedding a few pounds. The program includes free cholesterol and blood pressure screenings and instructional classes on how to control risk factors for diabetes and high blood pressure.

The initial weight loss competition will last 90 days, Curro said, but the wellness program will continue after that’s over.

“It’s a wellness campaign. It’s not just focused on weight,” Curro said. “We’re trying to help our team members be healthy.”