A sure bet: A Casino Night at your next fundraiser
Step outside the box at your next fundraiser with a GSH Casino Party. Transform your school gym, banquet hall, or restaurant into a hip gathering with a Vegas vibe complete with Craps, Roulette, Blackjack and poker tables, dealers who love to entertain and plenty of ways for your organization to meet its fundraising goals.
"We try to use the casino as a way to get people into the fundraising event so that the organization can get maximum profits," said Mike Oboikovitz, general manager of GSH Casino Parties. "We help try and push a lot of fundraising aspects that organizations are going to include such as a silent auction or 50/50 raffle."
Owner Girard Hendelman said his company helps event organizers plan the gaming aspect of the night from start to finish and that GSH can help organizers throw two types of fundraising events. One type of party allows guests to buy chips and cash out with real money, which makes money raised through the casino games the primary source of fundraising dollars; while the other uses the casino as a source of entertainment with money raised through other avenues, such as live and silent auctions, event tickets or raffles.
If fundraisers choose to host a casino party where chips are exchanged for dollars, Hendelman said they must obtain a charitable gaming license through the state, which allows the organization to sell chips for money. At these fundraisers, event organizers are also responsible for finding volunteer dealers for the night. Hendelman said that the extra work of having to find dealers plus the fact that an organization can "win" or lose a lot of money are why he and Oboikovitz advise people not to go the charitable gaming route.
"Even if people go the licensed route, I always suggest they don't use real money, where they're actually trading dollars for dollars," said Hendelman. "It's a small sample size of a few hours and anything can happen in gambling. Places can lose a lot of money and a lot of bad things happen, so I always advise people that even if they do the license route to sell chips, they should turn them into raffle tickets," said Hendelman.
While GSH can help fundraisers plan a charitable gaming event, most of their parties center around the casino being a source of entertainment rather than the sole fundraising modality. This makes for a more relaxed atmosphere and gives an organization more diverse options regarding how they raise money throughout the night.
No matter what type of fundraiser an organization decides to host, adding a Vegas-style game night to event is sure to draw and keep a crowd and is a great way to change and spice up the typical fundraiser. Start the gambling at the beginning of the night or treat it like an after party once the dinner and auctions are over. Either way, the three to four hours of gaming will keep guests entertained and ensures it's a fundraiser they'll always remember.
For more on GSH Casino Parties, visit www.gshcasinoparties.com.