Many of you are thinking: “What’s a bachelor party without alcohol, my best buds and sexy strippers dancing around us?”  While that question does make sense to the majority of the male population, trying something different like a casino night (even if you plan it prior to attending a strip club) can be quite entertaining.  With rows upon rows of slot machines, tables with card games, Roulette and Black Jack, the casino is a modern-day playground for adults.  However, gambling doesn’t end at the casino.  Visit Woodbine Race Track and bet on the best breeds and see if you’re lucky enough to score some extra coin off a winning horse.  Of course, there are many ways to bet on the horse races – daily double, pick 3, and so on.  Plus most facilities will provide you with instruction sheets if you’re new to betting.  What’s even better about these places is that your friends can kick back, socialize amongst each other and grab some food as well.  Here are some suggested gambling endeavors:

 The Casino

 The casino is without a doubt the place where adults come to play at all hours of the day up until the wee hours of the morning.  This is undoubtedly one of the places where you and your friends can spend hours in!  Who knows? One of you may even walk out of there a millionaire.  But unrealistic expectations aside, you and your buddies can spend time gambling and eventually dine at one of the casino’s restaurants followed by seeing a live show.  Transportation is usually the easiest to arrange when going to a casino.  If you and your buddies are looking to go to Casino Rama, for instance, their website brings up a list of coach bus services traveling there.  On the drop-down menu, select the city you’re coming from and the website will then pull up a list of pick-up dates, places and times, making your casino arrangements that much easier and no one has to volunteer to drive. Too drunk to get home at the end of a gambling night? Most casinos come equipped with hotel packages and continental breakfast to chase your hangover away the next day. 

 Horse Racing

 Betting on slim odds are not always a favourite, however, it can quickly become an addiction once you get a feel for the stronger breed, or winning horses.  Start off by betting something small.  Woodbine racetracks allow a person to bet an amount as little as $2.  From there you increase your betting amount as you begin to get comfortable with your bets and betting styles.  Check out Wegz Stadium Bar as well for off-track betting and high quality televisions to view sports games on (for those in your group not looking to gamble).  Wegz also has designated areas for group events complete with golf simulators, arcade games and lounge areas that you and your friends can book for a bachelor party. 

 Betting on your Favourite Hockey Team

 If you’re looking for something simple but not too standardized like your regular boys’ night in playing poker, check out a live Leafs game (or hockey team of your choice) and agree to bet on the odds your favourite team will win.  This puts an exciting gambling ‘twist’ to viewing a sports game and for the gambling amateurs out there, it will make watching the game that much more exciting.  You can make things interesting by arranging to take a shot every time your favourite team scores a goal? Or you can buy the groom a beer when the opposing team scores? – Create the bets as the game continues for added excitement.

Envision you’re sitting in your seat aboard an airplane that’s just about to take off on a direct flight to Las Vegas, Nevada with your five best friends.  Everything is all booked; the hotel, some top-notch restaurants for dining, a variety of shows and even some tee time.  You think you’ve got everything all covered and technically, you do and I applaud you for having everything set up.  However, there are a few odds and ends and minor concerns you probably don’t want to get stuck with if you’re in Sin City.  Remember, this is a place for non-stop partying.  So let’s ensure you have the time of your life by following a few simple rules.  Allow me to elaborate:

 Rule #1:

Never ever say you don’t have day plans.  While Vegas is notoriously known for its night life of strippers, clubs, parties and casinos during the night, you need to have several items on your to-do list planned for the daytime.  There should never be a dull moment when you’re in Vegas – day or night.  Ensure wherever you dine – be it lunch, dinner, afternoon snack – there is alcohol present!  Now we’re not suggesting you down as much alcohol as humanly possible and over-intoxicate yourself; keep in mind everything is good in moderation.  However, you’re in a city where every day is a party and there is excitement all around, so you shouldn’t, at the very least, be caught without a drink in your hand.  Just saying.

 Rule #2:

Always, always know where your tickets are.  Be it tickets to a show, a high-end nightclub, or anything that has been pre-booked.  These are significant pieces of information relating to any special event you attend and to avoid losing such items please ensure you’ve stored them in your hotel safe alongside your passport.  It might sound mundane to ask this of you but you’d be surprised how easy it is to lose tickets, especially when you’ve got several events planned on multiple evenings.  One way to organize your tickets – because believe me, you will have a lot – is to separate each set of tickets with a piece of paper folded on one side (hotel rooms usually provide a complementary pen and notepad, don’t worry) and label each set of contained tickets with the event’s name and date.  This way, you know which day is for which event and keep them organized chronologically.  Your buddies will thank you for it in the end.  It will save you all a lot of time searching and waiting for each roommate to look for their own. Plus they’re all in a safe place.  Now to choose a pass code you all can remember for your safe…

 Rule #3:

Finally, never, under any circumstances should you ditch the casino.  Seems like it wouldn’t be you? Might not be, but you’d be surprised how many people unintentionally miss out on some Black Jack and slot machine fun time.  With so many activities planned, you can get all caught up in your events, all while missing the main event of Vegas: casino gaming!  This is the top reason anyone books a trip to Las Vegas! It should be the highlight of your trip and you should squeeze in as much gaming time as possible, while maintaining proper gambling limits; let’s not create a gambling problem here, guys.  Plus, casinos are placed in almost every single hotel so squeezing in some Roulette or Black Jack from time to time should be permitted, even if you’re on your way to a party.  This goes with any other activity you have planned or randomly came across – ensure your days are jam packed with activities and events and try not to miss out on anything.  You only have so many days in Vegas, after all…