Staci Krause of IGN gave the episode 8.9 out of 10, describing it as "hilarious" and "a good break from the progressive storyline the show usually boasts". Krause said the "scene-stealing moment" was when the characters realized the video of Robin was a music video and described the video as "a very tongue-in-cheek homage to 80s pop in America". Later, in IGN's list of the 10 best "How I Met Your Mother" episodes, "Slap Bet" was selected as the best episode, citing the episode's introduction of "one of the show's most notable and iconic recurring bits: the titular Slap Bet" and noting that "it gave rise to Robin's teen pop star alter ego". The music video was described as the "ultimate gift" to television.