How to run a fair raffle, step by step

1. Write the rules before anyone enters

Decide, and write down, who can enter, how entries are earned, how many prizes there are, how winners are chosen and what happens if a winner is absent. Keep it short enough to read on one screen. Rules published in advance are your best defence against "but I thought…" afterwards.

• Eligibility: employees only, ticket holders, students of one class.
• Entries: one per person, or extra entries for specific actions. If someone earns three entries, they appear three times in the list.
• Prizes: list them in order, so the first draw is clearly the grand prize.
• Absent winners: state how long you will wait and that a redraw will follow.

2. Build a clean entry list

The draw can only be as fair as the list it draws from. Put one entry per row in a spreadsheet with the person's name in the first column, then add any helpful details such as team or ticket number in later columns. Remove test rows, check for accidental duplicates and keep a copy of the exact file you used. If you grant extra entries, list the name once per entry rather than adding a number, which keeps the odds easy to explain.

3. Import and sanity-check

Upload the file to the name picker, or paste the names directly. Look at the preview, confirm the number of entrants matches your records and check that the right column is treated as the name. If the count is off by even one, find out why before you draw. It is far easier to fix a list than to defend a result.

4. Draw live and label every prize

Drawing in front of the group removes suspicion. Use Stage mode on a projector or share your screen, type the prize name in the Prize field and draw. Reveal prizes from smallest to largest if you want a build-up, or the reverse if you want to start with a bang. Labelling each draw means your exported results already show who won what.

5. Handle absent winners gracefully

If the person is not there, use Redraw. The absent winner returns to the pool and a replacement is drawn immediately, which keeps the odds fair for everyone who is present. Announce the redraw rule up front so nobody feels singled out. If you would rather not redraw until later, archive the winner as "unclaimed" and note it in your records.

6. Keep a record

After the final draw, export the results to Excel or CSV. The file includes draw order, prize, the time of each draw and how many entries were in the pool, which is the evidence you need if a result is questioned. Store it with your original entry list.

7. Check the legal side

Raffles and promotions are regulated in many countries and sometimes require permits, particularly when entrants pay or buy something. This tool picks entries fairly but cannot tell you what is legal where you are. Check local rules, or ask the organisation that governs your event, before you start selling tickets.