Ladder Lottery Generator
Create a ladder lottery from participants and outcomes, then trace the lines to reveal results
Features
Auto-generate from names
Create a ladder lottery by entering participants one per line
Reveal with line-tracing animation
Select a name to see the path advance and results reveal with animated effects
Flexible setup for 2 to 40 people and custom outcomes
Outcomes can be freely edited, one per line
Recreate with shareable URLs
Share a URL to show the same ladder layout on another screen
How to Use
Enter participant names
Input names in the participants field, one per line, for 2 to 40 people
Edit outcome content
Replace outcome entries with prizes or results, one per line
Generate the ladder lottery
Click "Generate Ladder" to create a ladder with vertical and horizontal lines
Select a name and trace the path
Press a participant name to see the path advance and reveal their assigned outcome
Check everyone's results
Click "Show All Results" to display a list of all participants and their outcomes
Use Cases
Decide who pays at a gathering
Fairly assign bill payment or penalty roles on the spot
Assign seating and presentation order
Allocate classroom or event seats and presentation sequence
Draw winners for prizes
Hold a lottery for giveaway winners while displaying results on screen
Assign duties and roles
Distribute cleaning duties or roles evenly across all people
Knowledge Base
Why each person gets exactly one unique result
A ladder lottery works by a simple rule: as you move down a vertical line, when you hit a horizontal line, you switch to the adjacent vertical line. Since each horizontal line swaps exactly two vertical lines, every participant ends up with a different outcome.
- Repeated swaps：Each horizontal line represents a swap of two vertical lines, and no matter how many are stacked, the one-to-one correspondence is preserved.
- Reversible from either direction：Tracing upward from an outcome always leads back to the original participant, so outcomes never duplicate or disappear.
Origin and names of ladder lotteries
The ladder lottery originated when lines radiating from a center point were used, resembling the halo of Amida Buddha in Japanese tradition. The familiar ladder-like shape came later.
- Ladder-shaped form：The current form with vertical and horizontal lines is easier to draw with more people and better at hiding results.
- English name：In English-speaking regions, it is sometimes called 'ladder lottery' or 'ghost leg'.
Safety and Privacy
Runs entirely in your browser
Your input data is processed only within your browser and is never sent externally.
Processing only in your browser
Ladder lottery generation and result determination is processed entirely within your browser, and input data is not sent to any server.
Communications encrypted with HTTPS
Page loading is also encrypted by TLS, and content cannot be read by third parties.
No transmission to third parties
Input content is not sent to external services such as ad networks or trackers.
Handling of shared URLs
Shared URLs contain participant names and outcome content as-is. Recipients can see the information from the URL, so please be careful about who you share it with.
Updates
- update #237
Added ladder lottery creation with result announcement through line tracing presentation