Spin the Wheel
Type one name or choice per line, then spin. The wheel picks at random, fairly, every time.
The wheel has spoken!
Press the wheel, the space bar or Enter to spin.
Results
How to use the wheel
- Replace the sample names with yours, one per line. Paste a column from a spreadsheet works too.
- Press the wheel, the space bar or Enter. The winner shows under the wheel.
- Press "Remove and spin again" to pick the next person without repeats, or "Spin again" to keep everyone in.
- Open Options for spin time, automatic removal, full screen and a share link.
Odds for each name
| Names on the wheel | Chance per spin | Never picked in 10 spins | Spins to see everyone |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 50% | 0.1% | 3 |
| 3 | 33.3% | 1.7% | 6 |
| 5 | 20% | 10.7% | 12 |
| 10 | 10% | 34.9% | 30 |
| 20 | 5% | 59.9% | 72 |
| 25 | 4% | 66.5% | 96 |
| 30 | 3.3% | 71.2% | 120 |
Spins to see everyone is the average with names kept on the wheel (n × (1 + 1/2 + … + 1/n)). With "Remove the winner after each spin" it is exactly n spins.
Why it is fair
- The result is drawn first, from
crypto.getRandomValues, the generator browsers use for encryption keys. - A 32-bit number is kept only below 232 − (232 mod n), then the slice is that number mod n. The few numbers above would favour the first slices, so they are thrown away.
- The wheel then turns to that slice. Where it stops inside the slice is random too, away from the edges, so the pointer never sits on a line.
Need a quick decision instead? Try the yes or no wheel.
Frequently asked questions
Is the wheel really random?
Yes. The winner is drawn by your browser's cryptographic generator before the wheel moves, with the discard method from NIST SP 800-90A so no entry gets an extra share. With 30 names each one has exactly 3.33% per spin.
How do I pick each name only once?
Open Options and tick "Remove the winner after each spin", or press "Remove and spin again" after a result. "Put everyone back" returns the removed names. Without removal, a name can come up again: with 20 names, 40.1% of the time a given name shows up at least once in 10 spins.
Can I give one entry a bigger chance?
Type it on two or more lines. Each line is its own slice, so a name typed twice in a list of 10 lines has 2 in 10, or 20%.
Are my names saved or sent anywhere?
Your list is saved in this browser only, so it is still there next time. Nothing is sent to a server. A share link carries the list only when you press "Copy a share link", and the page warns you first.
How many entries can the wheel hold?
Up to 500 entries of 80 characters each. Past about 60 the labels get small on a phone; full screen helps on a projector.