Casino-themed
parties are hugely popular. After all, it gives you and your friends an
opportunity to dress up, have a few drinks, and gamble the night away. What’s
not to love about that?
Unfortunately,
planning a casino-themed party is nowhere near as fun as attending one. In
fact, it can quickly become a chore.
To help you out, we’ve
put together this step-by-step guide that tells you everything you need about
throwing casino parties, from guidance on the law to what games you should
play.
Take the guesswork
out of party planning and read on to make sure that your party is perfect in
every way.
Step 1: Check The Law
It’s important to
state at this point that holding a commercial casino night without a license is
very, very illegal almost everywhere in the world.
It could land you
with hefty fines and even prison. So please don’t do that.
Remember, in the US
gambling laws differ widely from state to state, so it’s important to check
that whatever you’re planning complies with federal, state, and local laws.
But rest assured,
you only need a permit if you’re running a casino business and profiting from
real money wagers. Holding a casino party for fun at home is completely legal.
Often the best way
to stay on the right side of the law is to play it safe by providing your
guests with play chips (instead of cash) and awarding a prize for whoever
finishes the night with the biggest heap.
Hosting a casino-themed
fundraising party is slightly more complicated with every state having its own
unique laws. So, be sure to check out our other guide if you’re looking to
raise money for charity.
👉 How To Legally Host A Gambling Fundraiser
Also, don’t forget
that for both parties and fundraisers you need to be sure that alcohol doesn’t
fall into underage hands.
If minors are going
to be attending be sure to have a system in place to check IDs.
Step 2: Work Out Your Budget
The great thing about throwing a casino-themed party is that it doesn’t have to break the bank.
You can always host it at home or in
the office; just buy
a few green tablecloths to throw over tables or desks and you’ll get an instant
casino feel.
Card games are the
easiest and cheapest games to organize; all you need is a few decks of cards
and some tokens to act as chips.
However, if you have
a bigger budget you can set about building the party of your dreams.
This can include hiring out a location, renting proper casino games such as roulette wheels and slots, or even bringing in professional dealers and live music!
Either way, the most
important thing to do is work out your budget before you start planning
the party and to make sure that you stick to it.
After all, you don’t
want to run out of money halfway through the planning process.
Step 3: Choose Your Location
The location will depend on your budget.
Can you afford to rent out a space?
If not, having it from the comfort of your own home can work too. Decorating the space with giant dice and playing cards will go a long way in giving you that casino feel.
Add in some playing
tables and you may not even recognize your own living room.
If the party is for work, having it in
your own home might not be appropriate. Instead, the office should be fine.
Just make sure to get the business
owner’s permission and to make sure they are comfortable with the theme. The
last thing you need is for the boss to come and shut the fun down.
If you have the money, hiring a venue
will instantly add some glitz and glamor to your party. You could consider
renting a function room in a hotel, or maybe even a marquee to put up in a
garden.
Of course, the easiest way to throw a
casino-themed party is to rent out an actual casino. There are many businesses
which will help you find and rent out a space, whether it be a private room, or
the entire casino.
This is an expensive choice for sure,
but it will definitely make this party one to remember.
Wherever you decide to host the party
be sure to choose a location that is neither too big or too small. No one wants
to be packed into a tight space or for your party to feel empty.
Step 4: Pick A Theme And Dress Code
Now, before you say anything, we know
the theme is casino, but that doesn’t mean your party has to be the same old
Las Vegas themed night.
Why not get creative and pick a more
specific casino theme?
For example, you could have a James
Bond casino party with everyone dressing up as their favorite character from
the films and books.
Or, if you’re feeling more retro, why
not go for a Great Gatsby theme and break out the jewelry, elbow length gloves,
and fancy cocktails?
Either way, picking a theme is a great
way of telling your guests how they are expected to dress – a vital part of any
party.
And while having an extra theme will
make the outfits that much more exciting, a generic casino theme still offers a
lot of scope to get fancy.
If you decide to go
formal, ask your male attendees to wear black suits and ties or bowties. Women
should come in evening dresses, complete with as much gold and sparkly jewelry
as is humanly possible.
If “chilled out” is
more your style, jeans and t-shirts will work just fine, although formal wear
will bring a touch of class to your party.
Step 5: Decide On Entertainment
This is the really fun part. After all, what’s a casino party without any gambling?
When it comes to
games our advice is to pick the one you think your guests will enjoy the most
and, above all else, keep it simple!
No one wants to be forced to learn a load of complicated instructions for a game they’ve never played before while at a party. So, we recommend going for the casino classics – roulette, blackjack and poker.
That’s because these games are all easy to set up, learn and play. What makes them even better is that you don’t need any expensive equipment to play them either.
You can pick up a poker tabletop, a blackjack table cover, and a roulette set for under $30 each.
Regardless of what
games you decide on, it’s important to remember to buy some playing chips.
It’s a good idea to
only use a maximum of three different colors. This will make the chips easier
to keep track of and means that players don’t have a lot of values to
learn.
If you’ve got a bit
more cash, it’s worth thinking about hiring a professional dealer. That way you
and your buddies are free to hang out and enjoy the action.
Want to make your
casino party even more legit? Then hire slot machines for the night. A local
party store or casino equipment rental company should be able to help you out.
Or, as we have
previously mentioned, go all the way and rent yourself an entire casino!
When it comes to
entertainment, casinos don’t rely on gambling games alone and your party
shouldn’t either.
You’ll want to make
sure there’s music. This can range from organizing a playlist, hiring a DJ, or
even paying for a live band if you have space in your budget.
Another good idea is
to hire a photographer or photo booth. Trust us, you’ll want to have memories
of this night to look back on!
Step 6: Send Out Invitations
A party is nothing without its guests,
so be sure to send out invites well ahead of time.
What’s more, this gives you the perfect
opportunity to finalize a guest list, and double check how many people you are
inviting.
Using physical invitations is an
opportunity for you to get creative. Depending on your theme you could style
them as giant playing cards, or formal 1920s invitations.
If you don’t have much budget and you
already have everyone’s contact details, then a group email should be fine too.
This type of invitation works really
well for office parties because you probably all email each other on a daily
basis anyway.
The most important thing to do when
sending out invites is to make sure that all the necessary details are included:
- Occasion
- Location
- Date
- Start and finish time
- Theme
- Dress code
- Plus ones
- RSVP/Contact details
- Any extra info e.g. food will/won’t be provided
Just remember, the more information you
put on the invitation, the fewer questions you will have to answer in private.
Step 7: Make Sure There Are
Refreshments
Food and drink are
an important part of any party, and your night will be no different. But not
all types of food are suitable for casino-themed parties.
Why?
Because your guests
are going to be busy with their hands.
That means, when it
comes to food, you should give them something that’s both easy to eat and non-greasy/sticky
so the cards and chips remain clean.
Of course, when it
comes to drinks, cocktails are the order of the day. After all, who doesn’t
want to sip on a martini when they play poker?
Cocktails can be
expensive to make, so limit your costs by only having a few popular options
like mojitos and martinis. You can even make them in bulk beforehand to save
time.
Unless, of course,
you have the means to hire a private bar.
Remember that
cocktails aren’t for everyone, so be sure to provide popular alternatives like
beer and wine, as well as non-alcoholic options for non-drinkers.
Step 8: Enjoy The
Fun
Now that you’ve set
the stage for an awesome night, all that’s left to do is get yourself ready and
wait for your guests to arrive.
We can’t promise
that you’ll finish the evening richer, but we can guarantee you’ll have an
amazing night of casino-themed fun.