Casino or poker night

A themed games night with play money or low-stake tables. Legally the trickiest event in this list.

Typically raises

$2,000

$500–5,000 per eventest.

About $50 per organiser hour

Is it right for us?

Money: $2,000–10,000
Work: Weeks, part-time
Helpers: 7–15 people
Lead time: 2–4 months
Red tape: Some

Uncommon: a fun themed night that few groups attempt

People: 8-15 including dealers
Organiser time: 30-50 (estimate)
Lead time: 8-12 weeks
Up-front cost: $300–$1,500. Table hire, dealers.
Risk: Medium.

Can suit, but rarely run by: Sports club or team, Charity, Community group, marae or service club

When: Autumn (Mar–May), Winter (Jun–Aug)

How big a job: Several weeks, part-time, 7–15 people

How it works

The money, as an example sum

Take about $2,800, pay about $800 of costs, and you keep about $2,000 per event: the typical result.

From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.

Where the money figure comes from

Estimate. No NZ benchmark found.

Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.

Step by step

Call DIA and confirm the format is lawful.
Book venue and tables.
Sell tickets.
Recruit trained dealers.
Run the night.
Record proceeds.

Getting the word out

Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.

Ask for help: Helpers for the day or night, and local businesses for prizes.
Ask people to buy: People to book tickets or tables, and turn up.
When to start: Ask for helpers first, as soon as the date is set. Start the public ask about 6–8 weeks out, and book newsletter and paper notices before that: small newsletters close early.

Where to put it

School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
Local Facebook pages and community groupsPost in your town’s community page and local groups (check their rules), and share from your group’s own page.
Facebook events and what’s-on listingsMake a Facebook event people can say they’re going to, and list it on your council’s or town’s what’s-on page.
Community newsletters and magazinesResidents’ newsletters, village magazines and other churches’ bulletins often run community notices free. Small ones close early.
Other groups sharing itAsk the school, kindy, church, sports club or marae down the road to share it in their newsletter or page. Offer to share theirs back.

The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.

What you’ll need

Place: NeededA hired venue
Landowner’s permission: Not needed
Council permit: Not needed
Food rules: Not neededNo food sold
Alcohol: NeededA special licence, applied for through your council at least 20 working days ahead (20 Dec–15 Jan doesn’t count). Alcohol in the ticket price counts as selling it
Gambling rules: NeededClass 2: prizes up to $5,000 and all tickets printed worth up to $25,000. Run by a club or society, with the money going to community or charitable purposes. Prizes at least 20% of ticket value; sold in person only, every ticket numbered (our rule: on paper). Prizes over $5,000 need a Class 3 licence
Health and safety: CheckA simple risk check and briefing
Insurance: CheckCheck your cover

Most casino games are illegal outside a casino; poker and some games of chance are allowed under DIA's Class 1/2 rules. Safest format is a fixed entry for play chips, no cash-out and donated prizes; get DIA advice first. Bar needs a special licence unless the venue is licensed.

Make more from it

Silent auction of donated items
often $1,000-5,000 at a 100-person event (estimate)
guests browse between courses or acts
Raffle on the night
often $300-1,500 (estimate)
the crowd is already there with cash or cards out
Business sponsors a table
often $100-300 per table (estimate)
a logo on the table felt in front of every player

Stack it: on its own, about $2,000. With the 2 priced add-ons above, roughly

$5,900est.

What you can get donated

Table hire, dealers' time, prizes.

Tips

Pair with dinner so the night stands on its own if gaming is restricted.

Watch out for

Accidentally running illegal gambling.

Also pairs with: Dinner, Auction

Free tools for this

Event budget and break-evenWork out how many tickets cover the venue, entertainment and prizes.
Cash float and takings counterDoor and food-stall cash, counted in pairs and banked the next day.
Event run sheetPlan the night to the minute so the auction and draw don’t run late.
Silent auction kitAdd a silent auction on the night: bid sheets, terms and a winners register.
Checklist for any ideaBefore, on the day and after, built from this idea’s own steps and rules.

Typical rules

DIA lists gaming sessions and poker as gambling with their own rules; many casino games are restricted outside casinos. Get advice from DIA before running real-money play.
A safer format is a fixed entry fee for play chips with no cash-out and only donated prizes, but still check the DIA rules.
Alcohol: selling or supplying alcohol (including alcohol included in the ticket price) at a venue without its own licence needs a special licence from the District Licensing Committee, applied for at least 20 working days ahead; late applications cost more and may not be considered. Fees scale with event size (Wellington: $103.50 / $341 / $948.50; Auckland treats 400+ attendees as a large event).

Check the details

Sources

Researched October 2026. All fundraising ideas

* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide