Spin the Wheel

Spin the Wheel picks one name or option at random from a list you give it, with a proper spinning wheel to watch. Type names one per line, or paste a column straight from a spreadsheet, and the wheel redraws as you go.

Teachers use it to choose who answers next, streamers and clubs for giveaways, families to decide whose turn it is to wash up, and friends to settle where to eat. Full-screen mode makes it easy to show on a projector or a shared screen.

Fairness is the point, so here is exactly how it works. The moment you press Spin, the winner is drawn from your browser’s secure random generator, with every entry given exactly the same chance. Only then does the wheel work out a spin that lands on that winner. The animation is for fun; it can’t be nudged, and the result doesn’t depend on how long you hold a button or when you tap. Your list stays in your browser and is never uploaded.

1. Type or paste your names or options into the box, one per line. The wheel updates as you type.
2. Press “Spin the wheel” or the Spin button in the middle of the wheel.
3. Watch it slow down. The winner appears under the wheel and is added to “Winners so far”.
4. Press “Remove from wheel” to take the winner off before the next spin, or tick “Take each winner off the wheel” to do it every time.
5. Use “Full screen” to show the wheel on a big screen, and Esc to come back.

• Up to 500 entries, one per line. Blank lines are ignored and extra spaces are trimmed.
• Each entry has exactly a 1 in N chance, picked with crypto.getRandomValues (the browser’s secure random generator) before the spin starts.
• The wheel always stops clearly inside a slice, never on a line, so there is no arguing about the result.
• Smooth canvas animation that speeds off and slows down gradually, like a real wheel losing speed. The pointer flicks as each slice passes.
• Shuffle, Sort A–Z, Remove duplicates and Clear buttons for tidying the list.
• Remove the winner with one tap, or have every winner taken off automatically.
• A list of winners for this visit, which you can clear at any time.
• Optional sound (off by default): soft clicks as the slices pass and a chime at the end, made on the spot by your browser, with no audio files.
• Full-screen mode, keyboard control, and a calm version for people who have reduced motion turned on.

• Want someone to have two chances? Put their name on two lines. Each line is one slice.
• Your list, sound and remove-winner settings are remembered in this browser, so they are there next time. Press “Forget them” to wipe what is stored.
• The winners list is not saved; it clears when you leave the page. Copy it first if you need a record.
• Long names are shortened with “…” on the wheel to fit, but the full name is shown as the winner.
• With more than about 60 entries the slices get thin and some labels may not fit. The draw is still exactly as fair.
• If your device is set to reduce motion, the wheel turns briefly to the winner instead of spinning several times.