Casino parties spice up the holiday season
Picture the customary holiday party — cocktails, dinner, and traditional holiday music. Now picture the same party and dinner enjoyed around a Blackjack or Craps table with a Vegas-infused vibe. Whether companies are looking to host a fun night of pretend gambling, throw a 1920s-themed gambling party or launch a team-building event, GSH Casino Parties has them covered.
GSH Casino Parties is entering their busiest time of year. From October to December, the company hosts multiple casino-themed parties each week for businesses such as Home Depot, PepsiCo and Lexus, as well as private events in people's homes. Average party size ranges from 75-150 guests, but Girard Hendelman, owner of GSH Casino Parties, said they are now booking parties with as many as 300 people on the guest list. Casino parties are so gaining in popularity that GSH has already sold out several days' worth of parties for the upcoming holiday season.
A standard casino party package includes one Blackjack table, Craps table, Poker table and Roulette table, but hosts are free to add tables and customize game offerings based on overall guest count and personal preference. If companies want to go all out, they can consider throwing a costume-inspired casino night. Hendelman said the most popular costume casino parties he's seen are James Bond and 1920s-themed.
“We first do a lot of teaching and explaining the games to people who don't know how to play and then they gamble for fun for typically three hours,” said Hendelman. “They'll typically start with $500 in chips and most people do a raffle at the end of the night so there will be some winners.”
Hendelman said casino parties work best in banquet halls where the room can be designed to fit the gambling equipment, but he's seen businesses throw casino parties at their offices, as well restaurants and bars. Clients usually select their venue before working with GSH to plan their event, but GSH can provide venue suggestions if needed.
“Once clients give us their location, we work directly with that location so our clients don't need to worry,” said Hendelman.
Hendelman said what makes these casino parties so fun is the no-risk gambling environment they provide. GSH Casino Parties provides every attendee with fake money that they can use to gamble the night away. Hendelman said parties where no real money is at stake are great places for people to become comfortable with the rules and nuances of each game and take their playing skills to the next level.
GSH Casino Parties encourages patrons to move from table to table and experience every game. Hendelman said companies sometimes divide partygoers into teams, which encourages employees to work together and strategize to win the night. Typically, the host will give away prizes at the end of the evening to the individual or team with the most winnings. Hendelman has seen hosts raffle off TVs, liquor baskets and even one paid day off work.
Regardless of the number of gambling tables brought in, the raffle prizes given away or the costumes worn, the main point of GSH Casino Party events is for employees to have fun, socialize with co-workers they don't typically interact with at the office and learn how to play some of the most popular games. In addition to dealers educating guests on the games, take-home Blackjack cheat sheets are available at every Blackjack table and partygoers can visit the GSH website to find tips on how to play casino games before the party starts.
“It's not real gambling; we're a source of entertainment for people that's different and unique,” said Hendelman. “It's something different, something fun and something that's simple to do.”
For more information, visit www.gshcasinoparties.com