Happy Eco News Green Casinos: How the Gambling Industry is Going Sustainable
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Green Casinos: How the Gambling Industry is Going Sustainable
Casinos are often extravagant and luxurious, rarely associated with the word ‘sustainable.’ However, with climate change and global warming looming over, the casino and gaming industry has also started to shift to more environmentally-friendly practices.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at some of the changes casinos have adopted to make a positive environmental impact.
Sustainability Practices in the Casino Industry
The world is becoming increasingly aware of the consequences of climate change. Many industries have begun to shift to being more green, including the casino industry. Here are some key steps that casino operators have taken to become more sustainable.
Solar Power Energy
Numerous casinos run 24/7, with all gaming machines and tables powered up. Casinos are also typically windowless with no way to let natural light and air in, and therefore consume a lot of energy with their lighting and HVAC systems.
In recent years, a number of casinos have shifted to building and using mega solar panel farms to become more sustainable.
For example, in 2021, MGM Resorts International launched a 100-megawatt solar array. Referred to as the MGM Resorts’ Mega Solar Array, this 100-megawatt array produces up to 90% of MGM Resorts’ Las Vegas’s daytime power needs. With over 300,000 panels set up on 640 acres of land, this impressive array significantly contributed to a 41% reduction in emissions in 2022.
Another example is City of Dreams Manila. In 2020, City of Dreams inaugurated its PHP 76 million 1.2MW solar solutions at the topmost level of its parking building. It became the first integrated resort in the Philippines to utilize solar energy.
Waste Management
With casinos operating almost every day and welcoming hundreds of guests, it’s not surprising that they generate a lot of waste, particularly food waste.
Fortunately, many operators are now committed to reducing food waste by composting unused food and sourcing products locally. A lot of casinos have also prohibited single-use plastics in their establishments.
Water Conservation
High consumption of water can be seen in numerous casino establishments, especially ones that are integrated resorts. The good news is that many of them have adopted water-saving initiatives to be more sustainable.
A great example is the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The establishment’s robust water management has allowed them to avoid wasting over 5.6 billion gallons of water between 2007 and 2021. Additionally, the Lake Bellagio and water fountains are water efficient, using water from underground wells onsite instead of from Lake Mead or the Colorado River.
Online Casino Gaming
Gaming via online casinos has become more popular in recent years thanks to technological developments and ease of access. Going online has helped in reducing the industry’s carbon footprint because people travel less to physical locations.
While casinos and gaming platforms still use energy to power up their massive servers and use energy-consuming technology, the online industry has the clearer advantage over physical casino locations in terms of lower energy consumption.
Conclusion
Casinos can still be luxurious while simultaneously working on being sustainable. Like many things, the industry still has a long way to go when it comes to reducing its environmental impact, but these sustainability practices are a good step in the right direction.
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