Can I hold a casino night?
‘Non-commercial casino nights’ are permitted for charitable
purposes in some circumstances. You should read all of the
information below before organising an event.
A non-commercial casino night is an event where participants stake
money on casino-style games, such as poker or roulette, at a
non-commercial event, where none of the money you raise from the
event is used for private gain.
Apart from reasonable costs, proceeds:
- must not be used for private gain
- must all be given to a good cause (including any entrance fees,
sponsorship, the difference between stakes placed and payout
made).
Reasonable costs would include costs incurred by providing the
prizes. If third parties are selling goods or services at your
event, for example if someone is selling refreshments, this does
not count as money raised for the charity or good cause and can be
retained by that third party.
A non-commercial casino night can be run without a licence, or any
other form of permission, providing the operation of the gaming
falls into one of the three categories below:
Page last reviewed: November 2011