A casino themed party is one of the easiest themes to get right. The casino tables give you an instant centrepiece, everyone knows roughly what a casino looks like, and there's a dress code that makes people feel a million dollars.
This guide covers the bits around the tables: picking a style, decorating the room, what to wear, what to eat and drink, and the music. Use as much or as little as you like.
Pick a style first
Casino is a broad theme, and the decorations, music and dress code all follow from which version you go for. The four we're asked about most are:
If you can't decide, think about your guests. A crowd that loves dressing up will go all out for Gatsby. A work crowd who'd rather not hire a costume will find Vegas or a simple black tie Bond night easier. And if it's a wedding, Monte Carlo tends to sit nicely alongside the rest of the day.
- Bond: black tie, martinis, sleek and a bit dangerous
- Vegas: neon, sequins, Elvis and over the top fun
- Monte Carlo: classic European glamour, candlelight and evening wear
- Great Gatsby: 1920s art deco, flapper dresses and champagne towers
Invitations set the tone
Your invite is the first hint of the theme, so make it count. A playing card design is the obvious choice and works for any style. For Bond, go black and gold with a classy font. Vegas can be bright and loud. Gatsby invitations look great with art deco patterns.
Be clear about the dress code on the invite. If you want black tie, say black tie. Guests hate guessing, and a clear steer means more people make the effort.
If you're having personalised fun money, you could even pop a note in with the invite as a teaser. Tell people to bring it on the night for a bonus stack.
Decorations
The tables do a lot of the work, so you don't need to go mad. Focus on a few areas: the entrance, the tables people eat at, and the area round the casino.
Some ideas that suit most casino styles:
- A red carpet or a lit walkway at the entrance
- Playing cards scattered on dinner tables or used as place cards
- Oversized dice and chips as table centrepieces
- Black, red and gold balloons, or black and silver for Bond
- Fairy lights or uplighters to make the room glow
- A photo booth with a casino backdrop and props like visors, feather boas and giant cards
Lighting makes a bigger difference than decorations
If you've only got budget for one thing, spend it on lighting. Real casinos are dim with pools of light over the tables, and recreating that is half the job. Many venues have uplighters or dimmable lights. Ask about them.
Keep the light over the casino tables themselves bright enough for croupiers and players to see the cards and chips. Dim everything else. Instant atmosphere.
Coloured lighting helps sell the style, too. Red and gold for Vegas, cool blue and white for Bond, warm amber for Gatsby.
Dress code ideas
Most casino themed parties go formal, and that's a lot of the appeal. Black tie for men and long or cocktail dresses for women is the classic.
But it depends on your style. Vegas can be sequins, loud shirts or full Elvis. Gatsby is flapper dresses, pearls, feather headbands, braces and bow ties. Bond is all dinner jackets and elegant gowns, though plenty of guests come as villains. Our casino night dress code guide goes through each one in more detail.
Food
If you're doing a sit-down meal, the theme can be in the names more than the dishes. Call the courses after casino games or famous casinos and it adds a bit of fun to the menu card.
For a buffet or canapés, keep it to things people can eat standing up with a drink in the other hand. Some casino friendly ideas:
- Mini burgers and sliders
- Smoked salmon blinis for a Monte Carlo feel
- Cupcakes iced like poker chips or playing cards
- Chocolate coins
- A dessert table with dice shaped sweets
Drinks
A signature cocktail is an easy win. Martinis for Bond, obviously, shaken not stirred. For Gatsby, champagne in coupes or a gin fizz. Vegas suits something bright and fruity. Monte Carlo goes with champagne or a classic negroni.
Don't forget a good alcohol free option. Not everyone drinks, and a decent mocktail with a themed name means they don't feel left out.
Music
Get the music to match the theme as guests arrive, then let the DJ or band take over later. Bond theme tunes are an obvious opener. Vegas means Elvis, Sinatra and the Rat Pack. Gatsby works with swing and electro swing. Monte Carlo suits a jazz trio or smooth lounge music.
Keep the volume down near the tables during play, so croupiers and guests can hear each other.
Little extras that guests remember
Once the big things are sorted, a few small touches can lift the whole night. None of them cost much, and they give people something to photograph and talk about.
- A host or MC in character, announcing the big wins at the roulette table
- A wanted poster wall for a Bond night, with guests' faces as the villains
- A cigar lounge corner with leather chairs (minus the cigars, most likely)
- Name cards that give each guest a high roller nickname
- A take home bag with a deck of cards or a few chocolate coins
The casino itself
The tables are the heart of a casino themed party, so get them right. Real tables with proper croupiers make it feel like the real thing, but with fun money only, so nobody's gambling. Croupiers teach as they go and keep the energy up.
As a rough guide, allow one table for every 15 to 25 guests playing at a time. Roulette is the must have. Add blackjack and poker for bigger groups. Personalised fun money designed to match your theme is a lovely finishing touch.
At the end of the night, count up the chips and give prizes to the top players, raffle style. Prizes are up to you. Have a look at our themed casino nights page, or ask for a quote when you've got a date.
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