What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas — except for Student Activity Council’s (SAC) second Casino Night, which brought casino activities and prize drawings to excited Luther attendees.
The event was held on April 27 in Peace Dining Room of the Dahl Centennial Union from 7-11 p.m. It featured a variety of gambling activities and games found in casinos, including blackjack, poker, roulette and more. Although participants did not gamble with real money, the event had a system in which students could place bets using poker chips.
Upon entering the “casino”, participants were issued a coin that could be exchanged for poker chips at the assorted game tables. The hosts and dealers of the game tables included several Decorah community members. In addition to the various game tables, participants also had the opportunity to bet on horse races with their poker chips, much like the sportsbook at United States casinos.
Attendee Emmy Carlson (‘24) tried her hand at the classic casino card game of blackjack. Carlson saw the event as a fun opportunity to learn a new type of game without the high-risk environment of gambling in a real casino.
“[Casino Night] was a low-stakes way to learn about being in a casino,” Carlson said. “It was a way to learn a game of chance – the risks and rewards.”
Riley O’Donnell (‘25) also enjoyed the event despite not having much familiarity with casino-style games. She said she “had a blast” all night long.
“I didn’t know how to play any of the games, but everyone running it was so nice and helpful, and I was able to pick it up quickly,” O’Donnell said. “The atmosphere was wild. I’ve never been to a real casino, but I feel like it was just as fun and no real money was used so that was a plus.”
Another aspect adding to the excitement of the evening was the prize drawings. Drawings were held on the half hour and the hour for a variety of prizes. These included gift cards to several Decorah businesses, including T-Bock’s, Sugar Bowl/Mill Street Mocha, Impact Coffee and more. Other prizes included a variety of food items. Luther Catering also provided alcoholic beverages to attendees age 21 and over.
“The prizes were awesome and everything was organized so well,” O’Donnell said. “I will definitely be going again if they do it next year!”
