Imagine that you're in lush environs for a party. No sooner has your car been parked - by a valet, of course - than soothing strains of music drift towards you.
Gambling dos are the latest fad with people seeking ‘something different’ for fun
AHMEDABAD: Imagine that you're in lush environs for a party. No sooner has your car been parked - by a valet, of course - than soothing strains of music drift towards you. Soft, intimate lighting creates the perfect 'ambience'.
You walk in and are welcomed by distinguished looking croupiers, urging you with consummate skill to spend more money betting on the roulette wheel than you know you ought to. A fantastic bartender mixes you nifty cocktails and for your 'entertainment', should the Black Jack, poker or other tables not interest you, are various performing artistes.
This isn't a scene out of a James Bond movie set in Las Vegas or a locale in the Far East, but is a reality enacted at the farmhouses on the city outskirts. 'Casino parties' are the latest rage on the city's upper crust party circuit.
At least five to six casino parties have been hosted in the city this year. Generally organised as a part of pre-wedding celebrations, they're a big hit with people seeking 'something different'. "People like to experiment with different 'themes' and ideas to make their functions stand out. Casino parties are the new rage in town," says a prominent party planner in the city.
And money flows as freely as water at such dos. "I attended a big casino party last year. Some 8-10 tables were laid out across a beautifully manicured lawn, and though there were several hundred people present, there was more than enough 'room' for anyone who wanted to gamble. The 'house' (the people who organised the party) gave each guest tokens worth a few thousand rupees to gamble with, when they entered. However, once those were spent, people continued gambling and losing sums as high as Rs25,000 to Rs30,000 without so much as batting an eyelid," says Ishita Shah, a party regular.
The total cost for such parties often shoots up to a few lakhs of rupees. Croupiers, bartenders - professional ones from Mumbai can cost as much as Rs 40,000 for a party, plus airfares, and other artistes are brought down from other cities. "The expensive décor, catering and other expenses included, such parties cost upwards of Rs 2 lakh, going up to well over Rs 4 to 5 lakh. The sky really is the limit, if you can afford it," she adds.
"Let's just say that in the rarefied atmosphere of these dos, it's hard to remember that you're actually still in Ahmedabad - the look and feel is very cosmopolitan, and for one night, these farmhouses stop being mere farmhouses and metamorphose into casinos - playgrounds of the rich and famous," Shah elaborates.
However, the focus at these soirees is not exclusively on gambling per se and the stakes aren't always particularly high (bets on roulette start from as little as Rs 10 and bets on Black Jack tables have been known to range anywhere from Rs 50 to Rs 500). "It isn't about how much money people win or lose. It's about having a good time with your friends, while doing something out of the box," says another city-based party planner.
(names changed to protect identity)
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