Despite the marvel and revelation of online gaming, there are elements that the industry as a whole needs to address. In the modern era, sustainability is one of the most pressing elements. It’s not just the gaming industry that has had to adapt to sustainable practices, though, it’s an area where we all have to chip in. Of course, corporations should be doing more than the average person, they have a much bigger carbon footprint, but we can all play our part.

When exploring sustainability in gaming, there are ways we can minimize our impact. The focus is on online casinos and how they reduce Arizona’s gaming footprint. Ultimately, they need to design ideas that keep their brands marketable and relevant whilst not inconveniencing their customer base.


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How online casinos change the rhetoric

What’s the first image that pops into your head when you think of a casino floor? For me, it’s the sprawling, luminous, and vivid sounds and colors of slot machines, as far as the eye can see. While it might be quite a visual spectacle, the sheer amount of electricity and energy they use is unsustainable.

One of the main challenges was for casinos to shift their land-based operations to an online medium. They had to do this while maintaining their security, smooth user experience, and gaming selection. Of course, as those who play online casino games are aware, they rose to this challenge, creating platforms that surpassed land-based casinos in many ways.

Irrespective of the game you play, retail casinos rely on the banter and interaction of a physical location. Online casinos flipped the industry on its head with their play-anywhere approach. This led them to becoming the dominant force and the preference for millions of casino gamers all over the world.

Online games such as craps showed that online casinos were able to mimic all elements of a traditional casino. As the top online craps games on AskGamblers highlight, software developers were able to reshape the initial idea of craps to concoct new ways to play. They began by fusing the original design with the latest software innovations to bring craps to a new digital audience.

How does this reduce the carbon footprint?

It’s a fair question because online casinos aren’t exactly net neutral themselves. They rely on extremely powerful servers, bandwidth capability, and high energy costs. All of this contributes significantly to their carbon footprint. However, an online casino’s costs are still minimal compared to a land-based provider.

Retail casinos have massive overheads, which include powering hundreds of slot machines, even when they are not in use. They are contained within sprawling buildings with hundreds of light sources.  Customers too have to spend time and energy putting fuel in their car to travel to a casino. Ultimately, this is the key reason why reducing the gaming footprint in Arizona is so important. The carbon dioxide problem that has arisen from man-made emissions is one of the most critical challenges that future generations will face. Ultimately, it’s the little changes that millions of us need to make on a micro level that will have the most sizable impact.

The gaming footprint in Arizona is even more substantial, given that the state has yet to allow online casino gaming. Arizonans wishing to play casino games often have to travel to neighboring states to do so.

Why sustainable gaming is vital in the long run

Does it matter if the gaming industry is a booming multi-billion-dollar industry? if it cannot prove to the broader entertainment world, and state regulators that it has a pathway to a sustainable future, it will ultimately struggle.

If sustainable industry isn’t one of their priorities, the cost will be down to the players. If their costs increase, they will need to be more selective about when and where they play games. Predictably this will lead to a decrease in revenue.

While sustainable practices should not be a money-driven ethos, online casinos are businesses. They need to strike a balance that keeps them financially viable while not negatively impacting their customer base.

Responsible Gambling

By moving toward a more positive, sustainable gaming world, gambling companies have heightened the convenience for online casino gamers. This means that the onus to gamble responsibly lies more specifically on the individual.

Unlike land-based casinos where the Pit Boss monitors you spend, playing casino games online fosters complacency. Online casinos have adapted to the modern environment providing players with a range of tools to keep their gambling in check.

This includes but is not limited to, deposit and time limits, cooling-off periods, and signposting to prominent gambling charities.

Final thoughts

So long as the gaming industry embraces sustainability this will encourage a positive atmosphere for similar practices to engrain themselves in our daily lives.

A study conducted in 2022 showed that over three-quarters of people want to find out how they can live more sustainably. If this ethos can be implemented into the gaming world, Arizona, alongside every other state in the US, will reduce its footprint and engage in a positive push forward.

Of course it’s not a simple linear journey. It involves consistently educating people on how to reduce their footprint and the harms that can stem from human-induced climate change. Online casinos, and the wider gaming industry are all part of a greater push that will see us move toward a more sustainable future.