Prize Wheel

How to use it

1. List the prizesWrite one prize per line. Add *n for its odds weight and xN for its stock, for example Free coffee *3 x20.
2. Set the stagePick a spin time, a color set and sound, then press Present, or the F key, so the screen shows only the wheel and the result.
3. Spin and hand outGuests spin by clicking the wheel or pressing Space. The result names the prize and, for stocked prizes, how many remain; at zero it leaves the wheel.

What the prize wheel does

• Works as a prize wheel generator: each prize gets odds such as *3 and a stock such as x10.
• Makes a spin to win wheel for booths: when a prize runs out it leaves the wheel, and the result says how many are left.
• Becomes a full-screen prize wheel spinner with Present, for a tablet or a projector at an event.

Odds and stock are two separate dials

The star after a name sets the odds, and the x sets the stock. They answer different questions. The odds weight says how likely a prize is on any one spin relative to the others, where a plain line counts as 1. The stock says how many of that prize you physically have.

A prize with no x is unlimited, which makes it handy for fillers such as Try again or Thanks for playing. A prize with a stock is removed from the wheel the moment its last item is given out. Fractions work for weights, so Grand prize *0.5 x1 is half as likely as a plain line.

Working out the odds for a real list

A prize's chance on a spin is its weight divided by the total weight of everything still on the wheel. The example below uses six lines with a total weight of 13.5. The third column shows what happens when the Tote bag stock hits zero: the total drops to 11.5 and every remaining prize becomes a little more likely.

A prize without stock shows its chance on the result line, worked out the same way; a stocked prize shows how many are left instead. For a booth sign, work the percentages out with the formula above and they will match what the wheel does. Spin counts are averages, not promises: a single guest can win the grand prize on the first spin, and the wheel cannot be told to save it for later.

Choose odds so the stock lasts the day

Before you open, divide each stock by its chance to estimate how many spins it will last. With the table above, 20 coffees at 22.2 percent run out after roughly 90 spins, while 40 sticker packs at 29.6 percent last about 135. If you expect 300 spins in the day, both will be gone by early afternoon, and the wheel would be mostly Try again by the end.

Fix this on paper first. Either lower the weights of popular prizes, raise the stock, or add more filler weight so that fewer spins win anything. A filler line is the simplest control: doubling Try again from 3 to 6 changes the overall chance of winning something without touching the other prizes. Then run a few test spins and reset the list before the doors open.

One more habit saves embarrassment: test spins use up stock too. After you rehearse, retype the real counts before the doors open, or you will start the day with fewer prizes than you own.

When a prize runs out

Each win reduces that prize's stock by one, and the result says how many are left, or That was the last one. At zero the prize leaves the wheel, the remaining slices grow, and the odds of everything else rise as shown in the table. Guests are never offered something you cannot hand over.

The count lives in the list on this device, so it survives a closed tab as the last wheel for this tool, but it does not travel. If you use two tablets, each keeps its own stock. Divide the prizes between devices, or keep a paper tally for the real total, and remember that a copied link freezes the list as it stood at that moment.

Setting up a booth, fair or classroom event

Present mode hides everything except the wheel and the result, which suits a tablet on a stand or a projector at a school fair. Press the F key to enter it and Escape to leave. Spin time can be set from 1 to 20 seconds, so a line can move with a 3-second spin while a grand-prize draw gets a dramatic 12.

Choose a color set that reads well from across a gym; High contrast and Color-blind safe are among the five sets. Confetti and motion switch off by themselves if the device asks for reduced motion. After your first visit the page works offline, which helps in a hall with unreliable Wi-Fi.

Give one helper the job of handing out prizes and calling out the result, so the line keeps moving and the person at the screen can watch the wheel. A small sign listing the prizes and their chances, worked out from the weights, keeps the whole thing above board.

Three prize lists to adapt

For a school fair, keep it cheap and plentiful: Pencil *6 x60, Sticker sheet *6 x80, Bookmark *4 x40, Small toy *2 x20, Lunch with the principal *0.2 x1. Most of the wheel is small items, so a line of children keeps moving, and the single big prize stays rare enough to feel special.

For a store opening, lean on filler: Coffee gift card *2 x30, 10 percent coupon *5 x200, Free tote bag *1 x15, Gift card *0.3 x3, Thanks for stopping by *4. The coupon carries the volume, the filler absorbs about a third of the spins, and the gift cards are scarce by both weight and stock.

For a team party, use unlimited forfeits and treats with no stock at all: Pick the playlist, Choose the next game, Skip the dishes, Sweet treat. When every line is a plain entry, the wheel behaves like any other, with equal odds, and you can raise a line with *2 for something you would like to happen more often.

Fair play and what the wheel does not do

Honesty about the offer matters. Show the prize list and the odds on a sign, let guests see the wheel, and keep prizes family-friendly. This wheel picks the slice before the animation and then stops on it. There is no verifiable-draw option on the prize wheel, so for a high-value prize that needs a public proof, use the giveaway picker or the raffle picker instead.

Charging people to spin for a chance at prizes can count as gambling in many places, whatever the prizes are. Free spins, or spins earned by a purchase or an activity that you have confirmed is allowed, are the safer pattern. Local law and venue rules apply, and TwirlPick gives no legal advice. Need a public proof for a prize draw? Use the giveaway picker instead; for the reasoning behind fair spins, see how to make a spin wheel.