As the name suggests, a fun casino is very similar to a real ‘bricks and mortar’ casino, but unlike a licenced casino, you play for fun and not for real money.
Casino nights are a popular attraction at big parties, such as birthdays, weddings and Christmas. They also work very well at charity and fundraising events, as they offer up excellent opportunities to raise money for good causes – especially if the organisers are able to source good prizes from event sponsors.
Fun casinos are often referred to as mobile casinos, as they are set up at your venue. Fun casino companies are usually small local businesses, and there is no standard service level – so it pays to do some research before choosing which company to go with.
What to look for when choosing a mobile casino company
We believe there are three key things to consider when choosing a fun casino supplier: equipment, staff and communication.
Communication is very important. A fun casino company should communicate clearly with the client pre-event, ensuring there are no surprises either side on the day of the party. No-one wants stress on their big day, so working with professional suppliers is a must.
Equipment can vary massively from company to company. Any mobile casino company worth its salt will provide blackjack and roulette games, the core of any real life casino, and for bigger events you might want to consider other games too, either to fit your theme or to provide some variety. Bigger companies will offer games like poker, baccarat and craps, but more important to consider is the quality of the equipment.
Many companies advertise ‘casino grade’ equipment although genuine casino tables are usually too heavy to be transportable. At Red Casino Events, we use the same playing cards you’d find in a real casino. The cloths are also produced by the same people who make real casino tables, and our roulette wheels are all ex-Mayfair items. They are 80cm in width and weigh almost 80kg. They are a pain to transport but give an authentic experience. Our tables are custom made to look and feel as authentic as possible, while remaining transportable. Although our premium blackjack table is an ex-casino item, modified with folding legs. We maintain our equipment to a high standard and catalogue it on our website for clients to see in advance.
It has to be said, though, that not all companies are the same. We’ve heard of companies throwing a cloth over a table, using toy store grade equipment or turning up with beaten up tables.
Mobile casino equipment has a hard life. It is lugged around the country, loaded and unloaded into vans and assembled and dismantled at all sorts of unholy hours. In short, it takes a battering, and that’s before you consider all the spilt drinks! And while guests can still have great fun with grotty equipment, it’s definitely worth checking in advance what equipment will be used at your event – especially if a luxurious and authentic experience is integral to your party.
Just as important, if not more important, is the staff. At Red Casino Events we mainly use freelance ex-casino staff, who have worked thousands of hours in real casinos. That said, we don’t believe that all fun casino dealers have to be casino trained. We have a number of inhouse trained croupiers who have passed their table tests and who bring the fun and the skills to the party. We’re proud of them, but have seen some companies supply staff expected to deal after a quick pre-event training session. We believe that we are there to educate and entertain guests, and we want to put on a show.
Are the fun casino games real?
Yes, fun casino games are played in the same way as they would in a real casino – the only difference being that we play for fun rather than real money.
As the client, you can decide how authentic you want the experience to be. Without real money and game security to worry about, our fun casino croupiers can inject some more, erm, fun into the proceedings. We love helping novice players and have been known to give them a little helping hand, but all the rules we play to are exactly the same as you’d find in a real casino.
How does a casino party work?
There will be subtle differences from event to event, which we discuss in advance with the client, but the basic principle is as follows:
- Tables and any props will be set up in advance
- The tables open at a prescribed time. The announcement can be made in various ways. Often this will be made by the DJ, or our dealers will come around and distribute fun money to your guests.
- The tables will open. We usually recommend around 150 minutes of gaming time, but this is up to the client and can be longer for fundraisers or poker tournaments.
- Sometimes we will spend the first 30 minutes as a practice or training session, or run a final table to determine a winner at the end – all discussed in advance with the client. Some clients like to arrange for a prize to be given out to the winner or the best player, which can easily be arranged.
- Breakdown will be agreed in advance with the client. Usually the casino will be located in an area which allows for the tables to be removed discretely while your party continues.
How much does a mobile fun casino cost?
There are a number of factors to take into account, mainly the number of tables and the length of play time. Our prices start at £299, with our most popular package (two tables for 150 minutes) costing £449 (surcharges may apply).
You can find our standard prices here and if you’d like a no obligation quote for your next event, please don’t hesitate to contact us using the form below.
