Gambling is popular around the planet. As evidence of this, there are casinos that have blackjack in about 140 different countries. Nearly 40 people people are estimated to play poker on a regular basis. Given all of this information, it should be no surprise that running a casino night fundraiser is a great way to raise awareness of an issue and raise money at the same time. Here are some tips for throwing a great casino night fundraiser.
- Draft your budget. You will have to spend some money to make your casino night successful. Your budget writing process is one of the most important parts of your casino night fundraiser planning. You can expect to spend anywhere from $25 per person to $100 per person. These costs are determined by your location, the venue you select, the catering options you want and what you do about your games.
- Pick the right company to supply your games. Your group casino party’s success will depend, in large part, on how great your games look. The more they look like what is found in the casinos in Las Vegas or Monte Carlo, the better the chances are that your event will be successful. You should go with a company with an established reputation who has been in business a number of years. Ask if the company has their own casino night equipment or if they are going to hire a sub-contractor to handle it. You should ask to talk to current and former clients and look at photos of the casino night events they have done for other businesses. That can give you an idea of what their equipment looks like.
- Hire professional card dealers. It may seem like your friends who play poker can run your poker games but it is really important to have professionals handle this part of your casino night party fundraiser. You can then offer poker lessons at the beginning of your night so that people who are not sure how to play can get some help and have a better time at your casino theme party.
- Pick the right date and time. Some of this may be limited by the vendor you pick and when their availability is. If you are planning a casino night party fundraiser for a popular time of the year for entertaining such as during the winter holidays, you will need to lock down your vendors very early. Often, these parties are planned at least a few months in advance. The average casino night party will go on for about four hours so you should send out “save the date” notices pretty early to give potential attendees plenty of time to arrange their social calendars.
- Serve casino themed foods and drinks. You should serve drinks in sophisticated glasses, these can be plastic and finger foods that evoke the glamorous world of Las Vegas. You can either have a cash or open bar. Make sure people can eat the food while chatting and playing the games that you have had set up. This is not the kind of party where you want a sit down meal.
- Pick a fun theme. Within the world of the casino night theme, there are a number of options. Examples of fun casino night themes include: Mardi Gras, riverboat gambling, the speakeasy from the 1920s, an old school Las Vegas them and more. You can tailor the music and decorations to your preferred theme. Ask that people dress in the right attire for the theme and have a contest for the people who dressed the best for that theme.
- Pick the right location. Look around for a venue that can hold the number of people and all of the gaming equipment. You can handle the decorations but you need a venue that is the right size and has the parking you will need for your guests.
A successful casino night fundraiser can accomplish a number of goals. You can raise both money for and awareness of your organization and the work that you do. Make sure you take lots of pictures and spread the word of your event on social and traditional media.
