How to Make a James Bond Theme Party More Fun | Fun Casino Hire

If you're planning a James Bond theme party, you've already got a pretty good starting point.

James Bond, glamorous guests, Aston Martins, casinos, cocktails, tuxedos, beautiful dresses and enough intrigue to make everyone feel like they've wandered onto the set of a 007 film. But how do you turn a James Bond party from simply looking the part into an evening that your guests actually want to get involved in and remember?

After providing entertainment at hundreds of events, including plenty of Bond and Casino Royale themed parties, I've learned that the secret is to get your guests immersed in the world of 007. Of course, a casino is part of that.

With professional croupiers, roulette, blackjack and other games available, Bond themed decorations and a few carefully chosen extras, you can turn your party into your own little Casino Royale. Don't worry if your guests have never played roulette or blackjack before. Explaining the easy games is what we're there for.

Start with the dress code

If you want my advice, make the James Bond theme a fancy dress party. This has consistently produced some of the best Bond parties we've been involved with. Of course, there will be plenty of James Bonds and you’ll have glamorous Bond girls, some Blofelds complete with white cats and at least one Oddjob. At one event, one guest turned up in full scuba gear, complete with flippers and a duck on his head (Thunderball, if you’re wondering).

The great thing about fancy dress is that it gives your guests something to talk about before the casino even opens. You can even make the best costume a competition in itself. To be honest, the ladies dressed as East European spies in military uniforms or as a honeytrap generally put rather more effort into it than the men.

Bring in a proper fun casino

If you want your Bond party to feel like Casino Royale but with no financial risk, a fun casino is probably why you’re reading this. James Bond famously played baccarat, craps and poker, but there's a practical problem with both those games at a party, they can be very slow. If you've got a room full of guests who are curious and eager to play, you don't want half of them standing around waiting for a seat at the poker table. For a busy party, I generally recommend roulette and blackjack hire because they're quick to learn, fast-moving and allow lots of guests to get involved. If you are planning a very large event, Mock Vegas have the tables and experienced croupiers to deal those slow games, just as long as everyone gets the chance to play.

Unlike a serious casino, nobody needs to know what they're doing before they arrive. Our professional croupiers explain the games, demonstrate what to do and keep everything moving. That's particularly useful because there will always be somebody who approaches the blackjack table looking as though they're expected to defuse that bomb in Goldfinger. They will be playing perfectly well five minutes later. I remember a couple who admitted they had absolutely no idea how to play blackjack. I explained that if they understood Pontoon or 21 they were already halfway there. I gave them a quick demonstration and off they went, as if they'd been sitting in casinos for years.

Some guests will initially hang back and watch, but then they see players having a great time, realise that it’s not too difficult at all and FOMO sets in.

Give your casino a Bond makeover

Every event has a budget. You don't need to spend a fortune transforming your home or venue into a film set. At Mock Vegas we have props and decorations that work particularly well for a Bond theme, including our flashing Welcome to Las Vegas sign as seen in Diamonds Are Forever. You could also add 007 table decorations, Bond-themed napkins, Bond silhouettes, toy guns, Bond-themed fun money, Bond film names for your table seating plan, Bond-themed prizes, etc. If you really want to make an entrance how about hiring an Aston Martin? There are even life-size prop Aston Martins available to hire for events. Imagine your guests arriving at the venue and finding a photo opportunity Aston Martin outside, or even inside if the venue is suitable.

Give your guests Bond-themed fun money

One of the easiest ways to make the casino feel more personal is with themed fun money. Everyone receives their starting amount before the casino opens and exchanges it for chips at the tables. At Mock Vegas, we use a simple system that allows guests to move between tables. When they leave a table, they cash in their chips and receive a cheque, which they can use to play again later. This means people aren't tied to one table for the whole evening. They can play blackjack for a while, wander off for a drink, have a chat, perhaps take a few photographs by the Aston and then return to the casino and try their luck at roulette. It makes the evening relaxed and social rather than turning your Bond party into a serious poker tournament. Remember, this is all about fun.

Add some Bond-themed prizes

You don't need enormous prizes to make the casino exciting, in fact I wouldn't recommend it. If the prizes are really desirable people can become rather more competitive than intended.

For a Bond party, I'd look for prizes that fit the theme - Bond playing cards, a Bond poker set, Bond memorabilia, a vodka martini kit, maybe prize for the best fancy dress along with a prize for the luckiest casino player.

You could even have several prizes throughout the evening rather than putting everything into one big prize at the end. A few spot prizes can keep people interested and give the croupiers another opportunity to interact with your guests.

Don't forget the music

Nothing says James Bond quite like that John Barry theme tune. Get those Bond theme tunes playing in the background and everyone gets the atmosphere.

You don't necessarily need to spend a fortune on decorations either. There are plenty of inexpensive Bond-themed party supplies available online, so a little shopping around can produce some great results without destroying your budget. You don’t to overdo it, covering every available surface in 007 logos and trying to turn your living room into the interior of a Japanese volcano launching rockets. A few good-quality, well-placed details generally look much better than turning the room into a Bond-themed jumble sale.

How about a Bond quiz?

A James Bond quiz is another easy way to get everyone involved. You could run it before the casino opens or between courses at a dinner.

How many times did Timothy Dalton play Bond?

What was the name of the villain in A View to a Kill?

Who sung the theme tune to The Man with the Golden Gun?

What was Little Nellie?

In what town did Bond meet Plenty O’Toole?

Who did Bond marry?

There are a lot of Bond enthusiasts, it could be their ultimate quiz.

The best Bond parties don't necessarily have one enormous gimmick.

Instead, lots of little details work together. Perhaps your invitation says: Message from Moneypenny – M has an urgent mission for you. Your guest RSVP accepting. They arrive in Bond-style fancy dress, Bond music is playing, an Aston Martin (possibly an inflatable one) is waiting outside, the casino tables are ready, everyone receives Bond themed fun money, the dining tables are named after Bond films, the croupiers are dressed appropriately (as always).

Don't make the decorations too complicated

Here's one piece of advice from experience if you're having your Bond party at home – don’t hang decorations across doorways. Those strips of shiny tinsel and similar decorations look fun when you put them up but unfortunately they have a remarkably short life expectancy at a party. I’d give it give it about 30 minutes before they’re lying on the floor while everybody walks over them and they become a trip hazard. You want your guests to feel as though they're entering Casino Royale, not watching where they can put their feet.

Mock Vegas professional croupiers make such a difference.

The job isn't simply to deal cards or spin a roulette wheel. It is to welcome people, explain the games, keep the atmosphere going and make beginners feel comfortable. It's something we practise after decades of experience in real casinos and hundreds of fun casino events.

A Bond party doesn't have to be a private party

One of the great things about the James Bond theme is that it works for almost anything - a birthday party, a corporate Christmas party, a charity fundraiser, an anniversary celebration, any kind of corporate event. If you're entertaining clients or staff, blackjack and roulette give people something to do and a natural reason to mingle.

How many casino tables will you need?

This is where it pays to ask somebody who does this for a living. As a general guide, I normally suggest around one casino table for every 50-60 guests, although there are several factors that can change that figure. The number of guests is only part of the calculation. Will the casino run for the full three hours? Will there be a formal dinner? Speeches? A Bond quiz? Awards? Live music?

All of these things can reduce the amount of time guests actually have to play. For larger events, roulette and blackjack hire are particularly effective because they're quick-moving games that allow plenty of people to enjoy the casino, but there could well be scope for slower, more exotic games.

If you're not sure how many tables you'll need, just ask! A five-minute conversation can often prevent an expensive mistake.

Why hire Mock Vegas for your James Bond party?

At Mock Vegas, we don't simply turn up with a roulette table and leave you to work out what happens next. We've been providing fun casino entertainment for years, with professional croupiers who have real casino experience. We've entertained at hundreds of events, including Bond and Casino Royale themed parties, and we've learned that the little details often make the biggest difference. We'll advise you on the games, the number of tables, how the casino will fit in with the rest of your evening and how to make sure your guests actually get to enjoy it. Importantly, we understand that a fun casino isn't supposed to feel like a serious gambling environment. It's entertainment, interaction, breaking the ice, an excuse for people to dress up and have a laugh.

Mock Vegas provides fun casino hire, roulette hire and blackjack hire across London and Southern England, including Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Sussex, Dorset, Wiltshire and surrounding areas.

If you're planning a James Bond theme party and want to make it something your guests will still be talking about afterwards, I'd be delighted to help.

Call Mock Vegas on 0800 612 7737 or get in touch for a no obligation chat or use the contact page.

After all... nobody does it better!