What is spin the wheel?
Used in a sentence: For the anniversary sale, let's show a spin the wheel on first open and keep the big prize rare enough to stay in budget.
How it works
The wheel appears as a modal or full-screen overlay when a trigger fires, such as opening the app during a campaign or reaching a milestone. Each segment shows a prize, so the user sees everything they could win before spinning.
When the user taps spin, the app asks the server for the result. The server picks a prize based on the configured odds, remaining stock and the user’s eligibility, then the wheel animates to land on that segment. The reward is credited or shown as a code. Limits control how many spins each user gets, and campaigns can give extra spins for actions such as referrals.
Example
A quick commerce app runs a weekend campaign. Users who open the app see a wheel with prizes such as free delivery, small discounts on fresh produce, a bonus on a partner brand and one large prize. Each user gets one spin per day. Prize odds are set so the campaign stays within budget, and rewards apply automatically to the next order.
Spin the wheel vs scratch card
| Spin the wheel | Scratch card | |
|---|---|---|
| What the user sees | All prizes before playing | Only their own hidden reward |
| Feel | Public, game-like anticipation | Private, quick reveal |
| Typical use | Campaign launches and milestones | Thank-you after a transaction |
Wheels suit moments where you want to show off the prize range. Scratch cards suit frequent, transaction-linked rewards.
Best practices
- Decide results on the server so the outcome cannot be tampered with in the app.
- Make sure every listed prize can actually be won.
- Limit spins per user and per day, and expire unused spins.
- Tie the reward to the next action you want, such as an order or a top-up.
How to do this with Digia Engage
A growth team builds the wheel in Digia’s no-code builder, sets prizes and odds, and picks the trigger event from data already in CleverTap, MoEngage or WebEngage. Spin limits, targeting and schedule sit in the same campaign, and the wheel can be edited or paused from the dashboard without an app release. See the format on the spin the wheel SDK page and other mechanics on the gamification product page.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you set prize probabilities for a spin wheel?
- Start from the campaign budget and the number of expected spins. Assign each prize a probability on the server so that together they add up to the full amount, and check that the expected cost per spin fits the budget. The size of a segment on screen does not need to match its odds.
- When should you show a spin wheel?
- Show it at moments that already carry intent: a sale launch, a first open after install, a milestone such as a tenth order, or a return after a period of inactivity. Avoid showing it on every session or during checkout, where it distracts from the purchase it is meant to support.
Related terms
Read more
Part of the In-app engagement glossary.