WheelMigo

How to run a fair raffle or giveaway draw

By Jack ShiJack Shi · 5 min read

The fastest way to make a prize draw feel rigged is to do it privately and just announce a name. Do it in the open instead.

Quick answer

Paste every entry (one line per person), remove duplicates so no one gets extra chances, then spin in front of your audience. For several winners, set a batch size and draw them in one ordered pass, and export the result so everyone can see the full outcome.

Key points

  • One line per entry — dedupe so nobody gets extra chances.
  • Spin live (or on a shared screen) so the draw is visible, not announced after.
  • Draw multiple winners in one ordered pass instead of many separate spins.
  • Export the result to share the full outcome, not just the winners.
  • It's a fair casual draw, not a certified or legal lottery.

A raffle or giveaway lives or dies on trust. If you draw the winner privately and just post a name, a chunk of your audience will quietly assume it was fixed — even when it wasn't. The fix is simple: make the draw something people can watch happen.

Get the entry list right first

Paste your entrants one per line, or import a CSV. Then remove duplicates: if the same person appears three times, they get three chances, which is usually not what you intended. WheelMigo flags duplicates on import so you can decide. A clean, one-entry-per-person list is what makes the odds actually equal.

Draw it in the open

Spin with your audience watching — in the room, or on a shared screen for a stream or call using Present mode. Each pick uses your browser's crypto.getRandomValues with rejection sampling, so no entry is quietly favoured, and the speed or timing of the spin can't change where it lands. Seeing the wheel turn does more for trust than any claim you could write.

More than one winner

For a first, second and third prize, don't run three separate spins and track who already won. Set a batch size and draw them in one pass: everyone distinct within the batch, kept in draw order, so the ranking is clear. Then export the ordered result and share it — the whole outcome, not just the names you read out.

One honest limit: this is a fair casual draw, not a certified or legally-compliant lottery. If your giveaway has legal requirements (a regulated prize draw, for example), follow those rules; WheelMigo makes the pick fair and visible, it does not make it a licensed lottery.

How this works

Entries are drawn with crypto.getRandomValues and rejection sampling to avoid modulo bias. Batch draws select distinct entries without replacement within the batch and preserve draw order. All processing is local to the browser; the entry list and results are not uploaded.

Frequently asked questions

How do I stop one person having extra chances?
Remove duplicate lines before you draw. WheelMigo highlights duplicates on import so each person appears once and the odds stay equal.
Can I pick more than one winner fairly?
Yes. Set a batch size and draw them in one ordered pass — each winner is distinct within the batch and kept in the order drawn.
Is this an official lottery?
No. It is a fair, transparent casual draw. If your prize draw is legally regulated, follow the applicable rules; the wheel only makes the pick fair and visible.
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