A charity drive is an American tradition unlike any other. Everyone wins when members of the community come together and give what they can to a worthwhile cause. These charity events can be used to support a wide variety of causes, such as the local parent/teacher association, social clubs like Elks and Rotary, homeless shelters, The Humane Society, church groups, Little League Baseball, and other youth sports.
You’ve likely bought a few pastries at a school bake sale or bid on cool collectibles during a silent auction. But the best way to host a poker or casino party is to raise money for charity.
This classic episode of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” will give you an idea of charity gambling nights. Will is accompanied by the Banks family to their annual casino night. There are plenty of hijinks.
A few guests may leave the event with some special prizes and gifts, but the true winner is the charity they chose. A single night of poker and casino charity drives can bring in as much as $10,000.
The contributions may be even higher for high-profile professional gambling events. Ask Matt Stout, a professional poker player based out of Las Vegas, who founded the Charity Series of Poker in 2014.
The CSOP consists of small buy-in poker tournaments that are held in Sin City or other stops on the American circuit. The buy-in costs players a few hundred dollars to play. Half of that money is donated to charities, such as Three Square in Las Vegas. The remaining half goes to the prize pool, giving players a chance to win cash.
Here’s what Stout said about his gamble on CSOP in a conversation with PokerNews four years ago.
Stout and the CSOP team had 90 players by 2017, including celebrities from Hollywood and local donors who wanted to get in on the action. The tournament raised $28,000. Read more about this successful event.
While the actual poker can be fun and games, with players willing to go all-in and rebuy to increase the charity’s final funds, Stout made it clear to PokerNews that running a charity poker evening is serious business.
Stout clearly benefited from his contacts in the world of professional poker and casino operations. It is a great advantage to have the MGM folks in your Rolodex. However, charity poker and casino drives are becoming big business.
A quick Google search will reveal a large number of companies that specialize in hosting and organizing these charitable gambling parties. This is a rapidly growing industry with many new competitors. Why not make a splash and start your own company?
Casino Party Aces is a popular business on the East Coast that hosts casino nights. It has been doing so for many years. Magee has also learned a lot about how to run things in a professional manner over the years.
Get ready to learn how to set up a poker party and charitable casino.
Logistics are everything
When organizing your first poker or casino night, logistics are the most important thing to consider. Your party won’t be successful if you don’t have enough tables, chips, and gaming equipment. It is important to have a large inventory of folding gaming tables.
Because players can’t gamble without a place to sit
Can you host a poker tournament for charity?
The State of California’s Business and Professions Code sections 19985-19987 allow for eligible nonprofit organizations to hold “charity poker night” fundraisers. Starting a charity casino and poker party business can be a great way to raise money for a worthy cause. There are various rules and regulations in place to protect both the charity and the players, so it is important to familiarize yourself with the applicable laws and regulations before beginning your venture. This article outlines the fundamentals of establishing a successful charity casino and poker party business. [[1](https://www.in.gov/igc/files/Charity_Gaming_Basics.pdf)].
Before you can begin to set up your charity casino and poker party business, you will need to obtain a two-year casino game night license from the Indiana Gaming Commission according to IC 4-32.3-4-5.5 [[1](https://www.in.gov/igc/files/Charity_Gaming_Basics.pdf)]. This license will provide you with the authorization to conduct the activities of your party. Additionally, it is important to be aware that there are certain limits set by the Indiana Gaming Commission on where you can conduct these activities [[1](https://www.in.gov/igc/files/Charity_Gaming_Basics.pdf)] as well as the types of games you can organize. It is also necessary to ensure that all of your materials and equipment are up-to-date and meet the Minimum Equipment Standards set by the commission.
You should also decide where your charity casino and poker party business will be located – more specifically, what type of facility will you be operating in? For example, you can choose to operate in a banquet hall, restaurant, or other traditional gaming facility. It is important to select a location that is convenient for your guests, as this will help ensure a higher turnout. Additionally, you need to consider the type of game you are planning. Do you plan to host Texas Hold’em tournaments or offer roulette and slots? Once you have established the rules for playing, you can begin to create promotional materials, such as flyers and advertisements, to market your charity poker and casino party.
Once your business is up and running, it is important to keep track of the money that is exchanged during your event. Ensure a record is kept of all banking and wagering transactions [[1](https://www.in.gov/igc/files/Charity_Gaming_Basics.pdf)] that occur during the party. This is crucial for the success of your business, as you will need to ensure that your profits are given to the charity that you have chosen to benefit from your business.
Overall, starting a charity casino and poker party business can be a great way to raise money for a good cause. To ensure success, it is important to perform thorough research on the applicable laws and regulations as well as make sure that you comply with them while running your business. Additionally, selecting a suitable location and offering the right types of games will help to draw more guests to your party. Finally, it is essential to keep track of all banking and wagering transactions that occur at the event, in order to effectively report the profits to the charity of your choice.
