choose random item from the listbox

May this solution satisfy you.

As you said you tried for integer type. So instead you use that random selection logic on index value of listbox items which is numeric.

You can then get value of selected index of listbox which can be any integer or string value.

You should note that if it is random, you may get the same result a few times on the trot, for that is the nature of random.

Your insistance on it always being different would require an array containing the last N choices (where N is the number of items in the box), and not letting anything go unless it had not been selected by random chance. Once all had been, clear the array and start again.

Private Sub btnGetRandomItem_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnGetRandomItem.Click
    Dim rnd As New Random
    Dim randomIndex As Integer = rnd.Next(0, ListBox1.Items.Count - 1)
    MessageBox.Show(ListBox1.Items(randomIndex))
End Sub