Wheel of Names
Spin a wheel of names online to pick a random winner: fair draw, remove the winner, draw several at once and full screen for the classroom. Free, no sign-up.
What it does
Type or paste a list of names, one per line, and spin the wheel to pick one at random. It is made for classrooms, giveaways and decisions: you can remove each winner so nobody is picked twice, draw several names at once, and show the wheel in full screen. The winner is chosen by your device's cryptographic random number generator before the wheel starts turning; the animation only takes the pointer to it.
How to use it
- Type the names or items, one per line. The list is kept in this browser for next time.
- Press Spin, or the Space bar, and wait for the wheel to stop.
- Remove the winner from the wheel or spin again. To pick several at once, use Draw several at once.
Frequently asked questions
Is the draw really random and fair?
Yes. The winner comes from the cryptographic random number generator of your operating system, the same kind used for passwords, and every entry has exactly the same chance: the draw avoids the small bias that the common "random modulo" shortcut gives to some positions. The winner is decided before the animation starts, so the speed of the spin does not influence the result.
Can I give someone more chances?
Yes. Write the name more than once: each line is one slice of the wheel, so a name written twice has twice the chance.
How do I stop the same person from winning twice?
Tick Remove the winner after each spin, or press Remove from the wheel when the result appears. The removed names are listed under Previous winners.
Is my list saved or sent anywhere?
The list is saved only in this browser, so it is still there when you come back. It is never sent to a server.
Wikipedia — Random number generation
Wikipedia — Fisher–Yates shuffle