Gambling Questions: Can I Hold A Casino Night?

Question:

Can I hold a “casino night” as a party or fund-raising event?

Answer:

Casino nights are essentially themed parties in which guests are given a fixed amount of “play money” in order to play casino games such as roulette and blackjack for a night.  If they “win” with their play money, they can then exchange that play money for prizes at the end of the night.  These themed parties are becoming increasingly popular, and are often used as a way of raising funds for a charity or civic society.  But do they constitute gambling, and can you host such a party legally?

In both the US and the UK the answer is “yes you can - as long as you follow certain rules”.  The picture is - as usual - more complicated in the US because the laws vary from state to state.  Your best advice is to contact your local law-enforcement agency and tell them of your plans well in advance of the planned event.  As a general rule, your casino night must not require participants to make a fixed donation in order to play the games.  You can request a voluntary donation, and suggest the amount of that donation, but somewhere on the “ticket” it should state that the participant has made a donation of their own free will - and you cannot turn someone away if they refuse to make a donation.
In the UK the picture has been made clear recently by the Gambling Commission.

Firstly, under Part 14 of the Act, players must compete against the “house” or a banker, rather than against each other (so roulette and blackjack are fine, but players shouldn’t be offered poker).

The host must be providing the casino games for charitable or other non-commercial purposes - i.e. there must be no private gain involved.

However, anything raised by others at the same night do not form part of the proceeds of the event, and so may be kept for private gain. This means that the proceeds earned at the bar, for example, can be kept for private gain (as long as the bar is a “third party”) - or a supplier offering snacks, cakes etc… can offer their services at an event and still walk away with a profit.

The players participating in the casino night must also be told what good cause is going to benefit from the profits from the casino night.

Beyond this, there are no statutory limits on stakes, prizes, participation fees or other charges for a casino night. No  other form of permission is required to operate this kind of gaming provided that the statutory conditions are complied with.   So stick to the rules and you have a free hand in the way you run your casino night.

There are countless suppliers out there who will offer to host a casino night for you, and the great advantage of using one of these companies is that they bring all the roulette wheels, dealers etc.. with them.  Naturally the down side is they charge for their services.  An alternative is to hire your local casino (or part of your local casino) for a night.  If you can persuade them of the value of your “good cause” they may even provide such a service for free.

You might also try contacting one of the online casinos to see if they will provide some of the paraphernalia free (decks of cards, play money etc… - try Ladbrokes Casino if you are in the UK. If you are not in the UK, make sure online gambling is legal in your jurisdiction before you partner with an online casino).

Related links:

Reputable casinos.
Reputable poker sites.

Tags: Gambling Questions, Gambling Rules