How to Run a Fair Spin Wheel Raffle or Giveaway

A raffle or giveaway has to be fair and be seen to be fair. A raffle wheel handles both: everyone can watch the pick happen, and the spin gives people something to follow. This guide walks through a draw on our free spin wheel, start to finish.

Why use a spin wheel for a draw

Names from a hat, numbered tickets and random number generators all work, but nobody can see much. A wheel fixes that:

• Visible fairness: entrants watch the wheel spin and see the pick happen.
• Something to watch: the few seconds while the wheel slows down get the room's attention.
• Easy proof: record the spin and you have a video that shows the winner was picked at random.
• Works anywhere: on a projector at an event, or on camera for Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or a live stream.
• No technical skills: paste the names, spin, done.

Step 1: Set the rules and collect entries

Write the rules down before you collect a single entry, and publish them where entrants will see them:

• Who can enter, and when entries close.
• How many winners there are and what each one gets.
• How the winner is picked (a random spin, recorded or live).
• Whether one person can win more than one prize.

Then gather the entries into one list: ticket numbers, names from a sign-up form, usernames from comments or an email list. Check the list before the draw. Each entry on the wheel is one equal slice, so a name that appears twice has twice the chance. That is right when someone bought three tickets and should get three slices. It is wrong when someone commented twice on a one-entry-per-person giveaway, so remove those repeats first. The Sort button puts the list in order, which makes repeats easy to spot.

Step 2: Build the wheel

Large raffles with hundreds of entries work. The slices get thinner, but every one stays the same size. If you want a wheel of prizes instead of a wheel of names, start from the ready-made prize wheel, or type a topic into Auto-fill and edit the 20 suggestions it gives you.

Nothing is saved between visits. To keep the wheel for a later draw, use "Share Link to This Wheel" after a spin and bookmark the link. It holds the names, slice colors and background.

Step 3: Pick one or several winners

Under the wheel, next to "Winners", press 1, 2 or 3. One press of Spin then picks that many, ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd. With 2 or 3 winners they are taken off the wheel automatically, so nobody can win twice in the same spin. "Put them back" returns them.

With one winner at a time, the result box gives you a choice. "Remove Winner from List" takes the winner off before the next spin. "Keep and spin again" leaves them on. Follow whatever your rules said about winning more than once.

For more than three prizes, spin several times. A common order is smallest prize first and the main prize last, so people stay to the end.

Step 4: Record the draw on camera

A recording is your proof. Before you spin:

1. Announce the time: tell entrants when you will spin, for example "winner picked live at 3pm".
2. Start recording: use your phone, OBS, Loom or your computer's screen recorder. Capture the whole spin, not just the result.
3. Show the full list: scroll through the names first so people can see they are in.
4. Go full screen: press Present (top right of the wheel) to show just the wheel. Space or Enter spins, Escape exits.
5. Count down and spin: let the wheel play out. The speaker button at the top left of the wheel turns the sound on or off.

You can also save the spin straight from the result box with "Share Video", or save a still with "Share Image".

Step 5: Announce the result openly

• Read it out clearly: at a live event, say the winner's name and prize, and have the prize ready.
• Share the proof: "Share Image" and "Share Video" download the result or share it to WhatsApp, Facebook, X or email, or copy a link.
• Tag the winner: online, tag them in the comments straight away so they see it.
• Post the video: even if you spun live, post the recording afterwards. It helps people trust your next giveaway.
• Keep your own record: the Results tab lists the spins from this visit only and is not saved, so note the winners or keep the recording before you close the page.

"Share Link to This Wheel" lets entrants open the same wheel and check the list of names. Only share it if the entrants are happy for their names to be seen.

Social media giveaways

The steps are the same online. Collect the entries from comments, a form or an email list, paste them into the wheel and spin on camera. A few tips per platform:

• Instagram: copy the usernames from the comments into the wheel (on a big post, a comment export tool saves time). Share the recorded spin as a Reel.
• YouTube: collect names from the comments, then go live while you spin so viewers see it happen.
• TikTok: keep it short. Record a vertical video of the spin and post it as a follow-up to your giveaway announcement.

For giveaways on stream, where chat watches the spin as it happens, see our guide to using a spin wheel on Twitch and other streams.

Each platform has its own giveaway rules. Read them before you post, state who can enter, and say clearly that the winner will be picked by a random spin.

Ideas by type of event

Work events

Match the slice colors to your company colors. In a large organization, ticket numbers or employee IDs keep the wheel readable. Several prize tiers keep more people interested.

Charity fundraisers

Fundraisers depend on trust. Put the wheel on a big screen, show the full list of entries before the draw, and record every spin.

Weddings and parties

Add guest names for door prizes, or put party games on the wheel and spin to choose the next one. For seasonal parties, see our holiday spin wheel ideas.

Fair raffle checklist

• Publish the rules first: eligibility, closing time, prizes and how the winner is picked.
• Check the list: one slice per ticket or per person, as your rules say.
• Draw in the open: live in the room, or on a recording you share.
• Use a witness: for an official draw, have someone neutral watch.
• Keep records: the entry list, the winners and the video.

Paid raffles, where people buy tickets, have their own rules depending on where you are, so check them before you sell tickets.

Frequently asked questions

Run your draw

Set the rules, paste the entries, spin on camera and share the result. That is all a fair draw needs. Open spin-wheel.org and add your entries to start.