Casino Samba – a guide to carnival parties

When we hear "carnival", we think "Rio de Janeiro". Undeniably the city and the event are something worth experiencing at least once in your life. Enormous parades, samba schools and their luscious dancers, masquerades and joy radiating from everyone out there. It wouldn't maybe be so clever, though, to enter a casino or other "adult-amusement" club with weak legs and half-deaf from the music. It's an individual thing, of course, and while in Europe you are to chose some alternatives. And this time I'm not thinking about Venice and it's amazing carnival events, although it's more than certain you'd get the best mask for your casino party there.

Cote d'Azur, the French Riviera and Nice. From the 13th century, in February, takes place the Nice Carnival. It is a celebration focused largely on masquerades and parades full of enormous themed installation, spectacular confetti and...flowers. There are series of events that utilize millions of beautiful floral sets - including "bataille des fleurs" - a battle of flowers, during which you can jolly smack the performers with a mimosa stick. It is certainly a item in winter-time, when last thing we can see on the streets is color and flowery extravaganza. Along the Promenade des Anglais, on which many events take place, you can find massive Casino Ruhl and Palais de la Méditerranée, both offering vast range of casino games for everyone. And when you are done with Nice, or in between these events, you are steps away from Monte Carlo and Cannes. World renowned casinos, deluxe hotels, cabarets and that special Riviera feel? Yes, that's the place to be during the carnival.

Craving more luxury and exotic travels? Nothing sums this up better than a Caribbean cruise. And to where? You can take "Carnival Elation" to explore the coasts of Baja California - yet that's just the name of the ship. I say Trinidad and Tobago. Not only is this an attractive tourist spot but also a home to one of the most famous carnivals, alongside Rio or Venice. The very idea of mass celebration stems from cultural and spiritual roots of Trinidad. It's inhabitants have always cultivated harmony and express their gratitude for blessings with amazing calypso dance and traditional music. If you chose a cruise that stops in historical Port of Spain on February 15th, you can experience the joyful carnival celebrations, as well as try the Trinidad lottery or equally popular horse or dog race betting. Do that on the mainland or onboard of your fabulous sea cruiser, that shall be undoubtedly equipped with casino lounges or often full size casino facilities, VIP game rooms - so that you can go there together or leave your spouse at the beauty parlor or gym. And when you've enjoyed Trinidad sufficiently, go with the spirit of Caribbean-American Carnival Month, and try to catch a boat to New Orleans, for some one-of-a-kind sparkles during Mardi Gras. 

Why aren't we talking about Las Vegas yet? This location and it's entertainment offer should be an obvious choice. You do not need intense browsing to find attractions provided by such giants as Bellagio, The Venetian or Caesar's Palace. The Sin City can offer all sorts of theme parties during carnival, from celebrity-studded events and casino night fundraising, to simple - tacky but fun - Bond or Elvis-themed bashes. If, however, you are not a big fan of sitting at a bar in your $10 Zorro mask, you can chose to take The Vegas Haunted Tour that gets you outdoors, to the streets of Vegas. You can be skeptical but the chosen spots and „ghost stories" - about comedians, gangsters and unsolved crime - connected with them are a clever and light (unless you are a wuss!) way to spend your evening. 

This year, though, an attention-grabbing event will take place in Vegas. The show operator, Las Vegas Carnival, is planning to inaugurate the spectacle on May 1st and to exploit the roots of the Trinidad and Rio carnivals, as inspiration. Excellent choice, as we've already established. In schedule are events at various Vegas nightclubs, so called "fêtes" (trendy way to call limited-access parties) and a grand finale at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway - including concerts and a Food Festival. To complete the Rio feel the whole event will be broadcasted and the material available on DVD's. Soon you'll receive an opportunity to chose and order specific costumes for masquerade parties, planned for the Carnival in dozens. And imagine the impression you can make parading into one of the uncountable casinos along the way... 

Choices are many and sky is the limit in deciding where to channel your casino aura. But what if this year's budget does not allow us to join any of the official carnival bandwagons? What if we like hotel & casino resorts but cannot quite afford a sea cruise poker tournament hosted by a celebrity singer? Well paths are few. And it's not only playing carnival blackjack on your mobile. You can try to convince your team of supervisors to organize a corporate party with a touch of gambling to it. There are multiple event management companies, that focus directly on casino-themed events. They offer a complete service, from venues and gadgets to special deals from affiliated gambling operators that, in return, advertise during such a party. For these events the most popular are roulette, craps and poker. 

If, additionally to your casino passion, you are also a bit of a charity-person, you can try to take part, or organize a casino night fundraising event. There is a lot of calculation needed for these but if you are active enough you can appoint sponsors that could, e.g. provide bonuses and prizes for players in attendance. And if everything else fails you can call one a gadget supplier, buy few gambling accessories, put a party-hat on your head and celebrate the carnival with your friends in a living room, while betting on Oscar winners. Like in a good casino, there's something for everyone.

Ale

Discuss this article below or on our Facebook Fan page.