In the past few decades, sustainability has become an issue at the forefront of public consciousness. Society is more aware than ever about where they source their everyday goods and where they throw them away when they are done with them. Sustainability is a major issue that many governments in the developed world have pushed to the top of their agenda. For example, the Irish government put forward several changes in 2012, including replacing labor taxes with environmental taxes. Because of this, many companies have revisited how their actions affect their local and global environment. Gambling companies are no different.
Gambling and Sustainability
Many companies in the gambling industry have committed to ‘greener’ practices. In the long run, this policy, along with a move towards online operations should benefit the environment. Take the example of Bwin, a gambling company that offers customers the option of an online casino where gamblers choose between several products like online slots, poker, or baccarat. In 2021, Bwin’s parent company, Entain, made a commitment to become ‘net zero’ by 2035. In 2021, they released figures which showed a 15,000-ton reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases in the years 2019 until 2021.
As Entain, keep up with current trends and public sentiment, the benefits for the environment of moving business online are clear. By way of an example from another industry, shopping in person is said to produce nearly twice as much of a carbon footprint as online operations. These statistics outline the benefit of moving services online to the environment.
Green Practices
In the running of bricks and mortar casino, there is an associated carbon footprint from many aspects. This includes product supply chain, electricity to power buildings, and transportation of workers and customers to and from casinos. Online casinos have reduced this. Many gambling companies use “green” servers which don’t require the burning of fossil fuels to run while more efficient technology is implemented to further reduce the carbon footprint of casinos.
Sustainability in the World’s Gambling Capital
Las Vegas is the world’s gambling capital and is leading the way when it comes to the environment. For example, Caesars Palace is trying its best to offset its carbon footprint and that of its customers. They have several measures to do so. In rooms that are not in use, they turn off the air conditioner, a measure that saves thousands of dollars a year. In 2010, the Caesars group partnered with cleantheworld.org and now recycles used soap to be treated and sent to developing countries. The Las Vegas Venetian Casino has also introduced efforts to reduce its footprint, installing solar panels and using electric vehicles.
Some commentators on the opposing side of the argument may focus on the overall carbon output of gambling companies. Many aren’t carbon neutral and have no plans to be. While it can also be argued that online operations in some industries are causing more harm to the environment such as the blockchain industry and specifically NFTs. However, even still the largest global gambling corporations such as MGM and Caesars are taking the issue seriously and hope to have a positive effect on the environment moving forward.
