Support the Arts with a Night at the Casino

With the recession in the US lingering on and many traditional sources of funding for the arts drying up, more and more non-profits and other charitable organizations are having to find new and creative ways of raising money. Casino-themed charity events aren't necessarily new ideas -- they've been around for decades -- but with the rise in popularity of poker and other casino games like roulette they're becoming a popular choice, offering people the chance to unleash their inner gambler and support a great cause at the same time.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is a great example, which will host its second annual Bravo! Casino Night on Friday, October 21, 2011, at 8:00 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead. The event offers up plenty of popular casino games such as poker, blackjack, craps, and roulette as well as music by DJ Yacht Rock. The cruise-themed charity event serves up the usual fare of hors d'evours and cocktails and gives guests the chance to win assorted prizes such as five-course dinners at local restaurants and the chance to get the usage of a luxury Mercedes car for a weekend.

Like most charity events, guests at the Bravo! Casino Night get casino chips to enjoy all the games but no cash is at stake, with the prizes up for grabs donated by local area businesses doing their part to support the arts. While the thrill of having money on the line as you play casino games may be missing, it's replaced by the much more satisfying feeling for many that they're supporting a worthy cause instead of just lining the casino's pockets with even more cash. Charity events can also be a great way to learn the rules of trickier games such as craps or poker that you always wanted to learn but were too scared to try for real money in Vegas or Atlantic City.

Another twist on the same idea are charity poker tournaments, where actual cash is up for grabs to be won but players are highly encouraged to donate some or all of their winnings to the charity sponsoring the event. The Ante Up for Africa charity event has been held several different times at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, drawing celebrities such as Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and Ray Romano. Most of the winners of the Ante Up for Africa event have donated their entire $100,000+ paydays to the charity.