Casinos have long been notorious for their wastefulness in pursuit of luxury. From water that is continuously run into a fountain to linen so white it glows in the dark; the industry has been known for over-the-top excess.
With the ever-growing demand for environmentally friendly practices and events, many business owners are starting to realize that what makes good environmental sense also makes good business sense.
Guest author Michael Vestersen (check out his profile) shares some great tips from business owners that will help improve the environmental friendliness of casinos.
Going Green Is On The Rise
As with any new venture, there is always an adjustment period as casino owners start to get their feet wet in the green world. After seeing how much money they can save by being more environmentally friendly in their business operations, many have jumped headfirst into creating a safer and greener environment for those using the services offered by their establishments.
Some of the more notable changes implemented in Las Vegas in the last few years are recycling soap, used towels, pillowcases, and even old curtains.
Benefits Of Going Green
While the casino industry and online casino games are a bit of a latecomer to the go green movement, business owners from other industries have had a massive head start on greening up their operations.
Some of their tips include using natural light effectively, cutting down on water usage, and enforcing strict recycling guidelines. Turning the air conditioning off when rooms are unoccupied, using kegs to hold wine, and switching off the lights of vending machines at the back of the house will also help cut down considerably on the amount of energy used by a casino.
They also noted that the key to being environmentally friendly is to make it second nature, which means having someone who can be actively involved in ensuring the casino’s practices are as eco-friendly as possible. To that end, some casinos are now even hiring corporate directors for environmental sustainability.
The casino industry in Denmark is starting to pay a lot more attention to the going green initiative. There are also a growing number of players in Denmark who prefer playing at an online casinoer instead of a land-based casino. Some of the reasons why a lot of Danes prefer to play at bedste online casino is because it allows them to play from the comfort of their homes, not harm the environment and control their spending by using responsible gambling tools.
Cost Savings
Land-based casinos realize that more players are turning to online casinos and they are taking multiple steps to be more player- and environmentally-friendly. Harrah’s recently stated that they have spent over $74 billion in updating its facilities to be more eco-friendly.
Some of these include using water filtration systems to eliminate the need for plastic bottles, using light-emitting diodes instead of regular incandescent bulbs, and adjusting their landscaping to include more plants that can thrive in Las Vegas’ desert climate.
LEED-certified buildings are typically able to save up to 40% water and 30% energy. Their carbon emissions are also lower by 35% on average, with a 70% reduction in solid waste.
LEED Certification
Green practices only took hold among Las Vegas casinos starting in 2005, when Assembly Bill 3 was passed. One key aspect of the bill is its 10-year property tax break of 50% for projects that garner a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
LEED was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that seeks to promote sustainable green design. It is a process that recognizes environmentally friendly and efficient building practices while providing a third-party verification of those claims. To attain this certification, casinos must meet strict guidelines in areas such as energy savings, water efficiency, air quality, and indoor environmental quality.
Will Gamblers Care?
Despite the efforts of casinos to go green, the general public may still be indifferent when it comes to supporting their causes.
For instance, Caesars does not have separate bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. They do recycle their garbage, but the dirty work is not done by them or their customers. Instead, all garbage from Caesars is segregated by a third party.
According to a casino insider, casino players might feel put off if they have to do the recycling themselves. To keep things smooth, customers can throw whatever trash they have in any bin, and the casino will have someone sort it out for them later.
As of now, there is not a lot of data to show how important environmental sustainability will be for casino players. For now, it appears that the savings casinos derive from their green initiatives aren’t enough to make them embrace going green full-on!
Conclusion:
Casino operators are taking steps to go green but it is definitely not on their priority list as of now. This is because most operators do not see what major impact going green will have on their overall operations.
