How to Run a Fair Giveaway

What makes a giveaway fair?

A fair giveaway gives every eligible entry the same chance of winning. Fairness rests on 3 things: public rules, a fixed list and a random draw people can watch. Missing any one of the 3 leaves room for doubt.

• Public rules tell entrants how to enter, when entries close and how the winner is picked.
• A fixed list stops anyone adding or removing names after entries close.
• A random draw removes the host's choice from the result.

How do you run a fair giveaway step by step?

To run a fair giveaway, publish the rules, close entries at a set time, lock the list, then draw live. Publish the draw receipt straight after. The 7 steps below take about 10 minutes on draw day.

1. Publish the rules before the first entry, with the closing date, time and time zone.
2. Collect the entries and copy them into the wheel above, one per line. Comments pasted from a post work too.
3. Clean the list. Press More → Keep only @usernames, then Remove duplicates for one entry per person.
4. Lock the list with 🔒 and post the fingerprint in your stories, chat or post.
5. Draw live on stream, on a call or on a screen recording. Press SPIN once.
6. Draw backup winners in the same session, in order, while the winner stays off the wheel.
7. Share the 🧾 draw receipt so anyone can replay the draw on the verify page.

What rules does a giveaway need?

A giveaway needs written rules that answer 7 questions before anyone enters. Clear rules stop disputes, because every entrant agreed to the same terms. Post them in the caption, a pinned comment or a linked page.

• Eligibility: minimum age, countries or states, and who is excluded, such as staff.
• Entry method: one comment, one form, or one ticket, and whether extra entries count.
• Closing time: date, hour and time zone.
• Prizes: number of winners and the exact prize for each place.
• Draw method: a random wheel, drawn live, with a published receipt.
• Contact: how the winner is told and the number of days they have to reply.
• Backup winners: what happens when a winner does not reply or is not eligible.

Platforms add their own terms. Instagram's promotion rules require a full release of Instagram by each entrant. Entrants acknowledge the promotion is not sponsored or run by Instagram. In the US, a draw that combines a prize, chance and a required payment is treated as a lottery. That is why sweepstakes rules say "no purchase necessary".

Can you rig a giveaway?

Yes, a host can rig a giveaway by changing the list, weighting one entry or redrawing in private. Every trick leaves a gap that a public, locked draw closes. The table pairs each trick with its fix.

Are online name wheels rigged?

An online name wheel is only as fair as its code and its list. Viewers cannot see inside a website, so trust comes from checks anyone can run. A fair wheel lets you test its odds.

This wheel picks each winner with crypto.getRandomValues, the browser's cryptographic random number generator. The winner is chosen first, and the spin animation lands on that slice. Nothing is sent to a server. The live fairness test spins your list 100,000 times and compares the counts with the expected odds. The wheel odds calculator shows the exact chance of each slice.

How does locking the list prove the draw was fair?

Locking the list creates a SHA-256 fingerprint of every entry. A posted fingerprint proves the list did not change after that moment. The draw receipt then shows the random numbers and winners for every draw since locking.

The verify page replays the receipt in 3 checks. It confirms the list matches the fingerprint, each draw came after locking, and each random number produces the announced winner. A receipt cannot prove the host skipped private draws before locking. Draw live or record the screen to close that gap.

How do you pick multiple winners fairly?

To pick multiple winners fairly, set Winners to the number of prizes and keep "Remove the winner" on. Each winner leaves the wheel before the next pick, so nobody wins twice. The wheel draws 1 to 50 winners at once.

Announce the prize order before the draw: first name drawn gets first prize. Draw 2 or 3 backup winners straight after, in the same locked session. The receipt then records the backups too.

Which other tools fit a giveaway?

4 other tools cover the most common giveaway formats. Each one uses the same random number source as this wheel.

• Giveaway picker: a wheel set up for social media comments and multiple prizes.
• Random number generator: a draw for numbered raffle tickets.
• Random name picker: a draw from a plain list of names.
• Coin flip: a tie-breaker between 2 finalists.