3 Ways to Run a Lottery in Google Meet Meetings [2026 Updated]

Among the three major online meeting tools -- Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet -- Google Meet stands out for its integration with Google Workspace. However, none of these meeting tools come with a built-in lottery or drawing feature.

This article compares three lottery methods you can use in Google Meet meetings and introduces options well-suited to Google Workspace environments.

What Google Meet Can and Cannot Do

What It Can Do

Google Meet offers the following features:

• Polls (Q&A / Voting): Simple majority votes, real-time tallying, anonymous voting
• Breakout rooms: Split participants into small groups (randomly or manually)
• Chat: Share links, text-based communication
• Google Workspace integration: Google Calendar sync, Google Drive sharing, spreadsheet screen sharing

What It Cannot Do

On the other hand, it does not support the following random selection needs:

• Prize drawings
• Randomizing presentation order
• Drawing lots for duties or roles
• Transparent, fair lottery processes

Since it is designed as a meeting tool, lottery functionality requires external tools.

5 Situations Where a Lottery Is Needed in Google Meet Meetings

Situation 1: Company Events and Kickoffs

Lotteries are needed for quarterly kickoff prize drawings, company-wide meeting giveaways, and team-building game turn order. Large-group support (50-300 people), compatibility with Google Workspace, and record-keeping are essential.

Situation 2: Regular Meetings and Team Meetings

Fair role assignment is needed for choosing a note-taker, deciding presentation order, and selecting the next facilitator. Quick decisions (1-2 minutes) and Google Calendar integration are required.

Situation 3: Training and Workshops

Group assignments, role-play role decisions, and randomized presentation order are common needs. As a way to improve training effectiveness, skill balance and transparency are important.

Situation 4: Online Social Gatherings

Deciding game turn order, drawing prize winners, and selecting after-party participants are part of virtual team building, where entertainment value matters.

Situation 5: Webinars and Seminars

Deciding Q&A order, drawing participant gifts, and selecting survey respondents for rewards come up frequently. Smooth operations with large audiences (100+ people) and effective online event lotteries are essential.

3 Lottery Methods for Google Meet Meetings

Method 1: Amida-san

URL: https://amida-san.com

No registration required, completely free, supports up to 299 participants. All participants are involved in the lottery process, and results can be saved and verified via URL for 180 days. Mathematically proven fairness is guaranteed.

Here is how to use it in a Google Meet meeting:

[Preparation (5 min)]
1. Create an event on Amida-san
2. Enter the prize list (results)
3. Copy the URL

[During the meeting (5-10 min)]
1. Paste the URL in Google Meet chat
2. Participants access it from their phone/PC
3. Everyone adds horizontal bars (3-5 min)
4. Run the lottery
5. Share the results via screen sharing

Pros:

• Complete transparency -- no one can manipulate results
• Results saved via URL for 180 days for later verification
• Up to 299 simultaneous participants
• Easy URL sharing via Google Meet chat
• Mobile-friendly, accessible from smartphones
• Optional 3D presentation ($5.99) for added excitement

Cons:

• Requires participant cooperation
• First-time users need a brief explanation (about 30 seconds)

Best suited for official corporate events where transparency is a top priority, and for medium to large groups (10+ people) in a Google Workspace environment.

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Method 2: Google Sheets (RAND Function)

Free with a Google account, and everything stays within Google Workspace. Randomization via formulas, records are preserved, and screen sharing is easy.

Here is how to use it in a Google Meet meeting:

[Preparation (10 min)]
1. Create a Google Spreadsheet
2. Enter participant names in column A
3. Enter the =RAND() function in column B
4. Set sharing via Google Drive

[During the meeting (3 min)]
1. Screen share the spreadsheet
2. Press F9 (or recalculate) to randomize
3. Sort by column B (Data -> Sort)
4. Announce results from top to bottom

Here is a specific RAND function setup example:

Column A: Participant names
Column B: =RAND()

Example:
A           B
Tanaka      0.234
Sato        0.876
Suzuki      0.123
Yamada      0.567

-> Sort by column B:
Suzuki      0.123
Tanaka      0.234
Yamada      0.567
Sato        0.876

-> Suzuki is 1st, Tanaka is 2nd...

Pros:

• Everything stays within Google Workspace
• Records can be saved
• Complex conditions possible (combining functions)
• Collaborative editing via Google Drive

Cons:

• Raises suspicion: "Could someone change the formula?"
• Somewhat difficult for people unfamiliar with spreadsheets
• Lower transparency

Best suited when you prioritize the Google Workspace environment, are comfortable with spreadsheets, want to keep records, and trust is already established among participants.

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Method 3: External Tools (Wheel of Names, etc.)

URL: https://wheelofnames.com

A free, no-registration roulette-style tool.

Here is how to use it in a Google Meet meeting:

[Preparation (5 min)]
1. Access Wheel of Names
2. Enter participant names
3. Customize the roulette design

[During the meeting (3 min)]
1. Screen share Wheel of Names
2. Spin the wheel
3. Announce results

Pros:

• Visually intuitive
• Exciting presentation
• Easy to set up
• Easy to screen share on Google Meet

Cons:

• Only the organizer operates it, so transparency is low
• Hard to see with large groups
• English-only site

Best suited for casual events with small groups (10 or fewer) where entertainment value is the priority.

Comparison of the 3 Methods

Method	Registration	Cost	Transparency	Large Groups	Google Workspace Compatibility
Amida-san	Not required	Free	5/5	299 people	4/5
Google Sheets	Required	Free	3/5	Unlimited	5/5
Wheel of Names	Not required	Free	2/5	100 people	3/5

Benefits of Using Google Workspace

Benefit 1: Google Calendar Integration

When creating a meeting in Google Calendar, include the Amida-san URL in the description field so participants can access it in advance. On the meeting day, the lottery can be run immediately, making things run smoothly.

[Regular meeting example]
1. Create a meeting in Google Calendar
2. Include the Amida-san URL in the meeting description
3. Participants can access it in advance
4. Run the lottery immediately on the meeting day

Benefit 2: Record Management with Google Drive

By saving the URL in Google Drive or Google Docs, the lottery history can be shared across the entire team, and searching or referencing is easy.

[Record management]
1. Save the Amida-san URL in Google Docs
2. Manage lottery history in a spreadsheet
3. Share with the entire team
4. Easy to search and reference

Benefit 3: Permission Management and Mobile Support

Compatible with domain-level permission management via the Google Workspace Admin Console, including restricting external sharing and retrieving access logs. When joining from the Google Meet app on a phone or tablet, URLs can be shared via the chat function.

Practical Example: Company Event with 60 Participants

Here is a practical example assuming a prize lottery at a monthly company-wide meeting.

Preparation (Day Before)

1. Create a meeting in Google Calendar
2. Create an event on Amida-san
3. Enter the prize list (1st to 10th place)
4. Add the URL to the calendar description
5. Send a message: "Please add your horizontal bars by tomorrow"

Day-of Flow (Lottery Time: 10 min)

14:50 - MC explains the lottery (1 min)
        "Many of you have already added your bars via the URL"
14:51 - Resend the URL in chat for those who haven't
14:52-14:55 - Remaining participants add their bars
14:55 - Confirm everyone is ready
14:56 - Run the lottery (screen share)
14:57 - Announce results (starting from 1st place)
15:00 - Done

All 60 participants can join, and everything stays within the Google Workspace environment. The URL is saved for 180 days as a record. Since preparation is shared via Google Calendar in advance, the day-of flow runs smoothly.

Google Meet vs. Zoom vs. Teams

Lottery Tool Compatibility

Meeting Tool	Amida-san	Google Sheets	Wheel of Names
Google Meet	Supported	Supported	Supported
Zoom	Supported	Supported	Supported
Microsoft Teams	Supported	Supported	Supported

Amida-san can be used with all online meeting tools.

Features of Each Tool

Google Meet excels at staying within the Google Workspace environment and its compatibility with Google Sheets. Permission management via the Admin Console is also possible.

Zoom supports the largest number of participants (up to 1,000) and has robust breakout rooms.

Microsoft Teams stays within the Microsoft 365 environment and has strong compatibility with Excel.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Is Google Meet screen sharing necessary?

Screen sharing during results announcement is recommended so everyone can see at the same time. However, simply pasting the URL in chat allows participants to check results individually.

Q2: Can people join from their smartphones?

Yes, Amida-san works fine from a mobile browser. You can switch between the Google Meet app and browser to participate.

Q3: Isn't Google Sheets a better option?

Google Sheets is a good choice if you want to keep everything within Google Workspace. However, if transparency is a priority, Amida-san is more suitable since all participants are involved in the lottery process.

Q4: Can external guests participate?

Since Amida-san requires no registration, external guests can participate. However, if your Google Workspace admin restricts link sharing outside the domain, check in advance.

Q5: Is it okay to record?

Yes, recording the lottery process with Google Meet's recording feature increases transparency further. We recommend keeping both the URL and the recording as records.

Q6: How is this different from Google Meet's automatic breakout room assignment?

Automatic breakout room assignment is convenient for group splitting, but lacks transparency. Since all participants are involved in the Amida-san lottery process, satisfaction is higher. See Breakout Room Alternatives for details.

Conclusion

Google Meet does not have a built-in lottery feature, but it can easily be achieved with external tools.

There are four key points for choosing a tool:

1. Transparency: Can everyone agree it is fair?
2. Google Workspace compatibility: Does it integrate with your environment?
3. Large group support: Can it handle your number of participants?
4. Record-keeping: Can results be verified later?

If Google Workspace compatibility is your priority, use Google Sheets. If transparency and fairness are what matter most, Amida-san is the best fit. No registration required, completely free, with URL-based saving and verification for 180 days, supporting up to 299 people. Try it at your next Google Meet meeting.

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Related articles:

• Lottery Tools for Zoom Meetings
• Microsoft Teams Meeting Lottery Tools
• No-Registration Lottery Tool Comparison
• Best Practices for Online Prize Drawings
• How to Achieve Fair Role Assignment