Taking care of the environment isn’t something that’s usually particularly associated with gambling. Massive lavish constructions, with bolted on hotels, retail and even residential developments don’t generally speak to an environmentalist agenda, but they certainly come up pretty instantly when you think of the gambling industry.
Yet arguably the need for more eco-friendly forms of gambling, as with entertainment in general, has never been greater. With record global temperatures and both scientific and political consensus backing urgent action, it’s never been more pressing to avoid inflicting further damage on the environment where possible.
An increasing movement within the gambling sector is raising the profile of green issues – both from the point of view of operators and players. So how can gambling go fully green, and how is the gambling sector, particularly online and on mobile, leading this charge?
Green Gambling – Why Playing Online Is Better For The Planet
Consider your average trip to the casino. It might be a Saturday night affair, and it might see you travelling into your nearest town or city. That could be a car journey, a train ride or even a taxi to the door if you’re going direct – not to mention the carbon footprint of the building itself. Visiting a casino impacts the environment in terms of your transport to the casino, but even visiting a physical casino in the first place means you’re adding to the carbon footprint of your gaming.
Land-based casinos and gambling resorts are massive constructions, involving raw materials, machinery and fuel – all of which contributes to taxing the environment, just take Macau for example. And that’s before you look at everything else you buy or use, all for the sake of a memorable Saturday night – whether you win or lose.
But it doesn’t have to be this way, and an increasing number of players are modifying their own playing behaviour in response to growing concerns over the environmental impact of gambling. One of the most effective, straightforward ways to do this is to switch to gambling exclusively online, rather than offline.
Online gambling requires none of the travelling, and there’s no personal contribution to the environmental footprint of a land-based casino. At the same time, you’re not forgoing anything you would expect from a trip to a physical casino – the same games, the same winnings and sometimes even better bonuses and promotions mean you’re actually getting an equivalent, if not superior, gambling experience, without the carbon footprint.
The Future of Vegas and Eco Gambling
If your local land-based casino contributes to emissions and damaging the environment, then it is nothing compared to the effect of big resorts like Vegas. This is compounded by the fact so many players choose to travel to Vegas by air, sometimes flying thousands of miles to enjoy everything the city has to offer.
Vegas has always been considered the global home of gambling, and it will continue to be a prominent destination for travellers and gamblers alike in the decades to come. There is simply too much going on in Vegas for it to disappear as a tourist attraction. However, there are some signs that the numbers of visitors might be starting to subside from their all-time peaks, and a part of that must be to do with the rise of online gambling.
Keeping one eye on the environmental impact of your gambling would suggest that travelling to Vegas, if at all, is a once in a lifetime thing – especially if you’re flying in from another continent. The environmental impact of each trip doesn’t bear thinking about, and at a time when people worldwide are actively trying to become more environmentally conscious, it’s becoming increasingly hard to justify for many gamblers.
Play Online – Protect The Environment With More Convenient Gambling
Playing online resolves much of these concerns. In large part, this is probably why so many more gamblers are turning to online and mobile gaming, instead of making their trips across cities, countries or even continents to reach the gambling tables. Because online casinos have minimal physical footprint, other than maybe a few offices, they offer a much lower carbon footprint all in. That means less damage to the environment, as well as the convenience of not having to leave your home to play.
That includes live casino games – you can even play with a real dealer to get the full land-based casino experience from home or from your mobile device. At a time where it is becoming increasingly important for individuals to take responsibility for their impact on the planet, having such a convenient, low-emissions alternative at your fingertips is a great reason to choose gambling as your eco-friendly entertainment of choice.
