PTO Fundraising: Casino Nights: Fun and Games, Not Gambling

Casino nights take careful preparation, and you need to be familiar with the legal restrictions in your area. But the payoff can be big.
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Typically, parent groups sell tickets in advance for a Las Vegas-style evening of games like blackjack, poker, craps, Texas Hold’em, and roulette run by dealers from a company specializing in this type of event. 

The ticket price usually includes a certain number of chips to play with. If attendees run out, they can purchase more. At the end of the evening, the chips might be exchanged for raffle tickets. The evening also includes food, drinks (if allowed), and music. Many casino nights include an auction, as well.

Keys to Success:

• Start planning at least nine months ahead of time, especially if you have to secure permits. If you will be asking businesses for donations, give them at least six months of lead time and avoid approaching them during the holidays, when they will be besieged with requests. 
• Promote the event as a night out for parents, and encourage them to dress up. Make the event special with casino-themed decorations (check your local party and dollar stores), music (hire a DJ or recruit a parent), and food (hire a caterer or do it yourself to save money).
• You will need plenty of volunteers, especially if you plan to make the food yourselves. Be sure to have enough helpers so they can rotate out to enjoy the games themselves.

Dos and Don’ts:

• Don’t skimp on game tables.  A good rule of thumb is to have enough tables so that half the guests can play at any one time. If you have only enough tables for 25 percent of the guests, they’re not likely to rotate through.
• Do create turnover at tables. One of the main challenges at a casino night is to make sure everyone gets a chance to play. That doesn’t happen if people plop down at a game and stay put. To avoid the problem of people not moving from their spots, plan a break in the middle of the evening, such as a presentation by the principal.
• Do sell tickets in advance. Expecting people to pay at the door is a recipe for disaster.

Top 5 Ways To Increase Profits:

1. Secure sponsors for each table. “You can pay for a casino night almost exclusively with table sponsorships,” says Kay Piccolo of 3 Boys Poker Parties.  "You can sell sponsorships, with sponsor names on a sign on the table."
2. Get creative with promoting sponsors. Have game dealers wear logos on their clothing to promote a local company that pays a set price for this prominent advertisement.
3. Raise your ticket prices. “They need to be relatively expensive, $50 to $100 per head, though it depends on your demographics,” Piccolo says.
4. Add another fundraising activity. Make a silent and a live auction part of the evening.
5. Sell drinks, if permitted. Beverages can often be a high-profit item.

FAQs:
How long should it last?
Casino night companies usually require a minimum of three hours. 
Where is the best place to hold this type of event?
If you have a large enough area at your school, there’s nothing wrong with holding it on campus. But if space isn’t available—or if you plan to serve alcohol—you probably need to rent a facility. 


How To Keep It Legal
Rules about casino night fundraisers vary greatly from state to state. In Texas, as long as people don’t win any money, there’s no problem, and rest assured, 3BPP has an attorney on staff to make sure our events are legal.  The key is to make sure that the gaming is done just for fun. There is no money exchange, no real value to the chips. Chips can't be cashed in for things.