How Canadians are Saving the Planet by Switching to Gambling Online
While gambling has a long history in the world, concerns started to grow once society shifted into the motorised and electronic age. During the 1960s, more than 50 percent of the modernised populace spent their time in a gambling parlor. Whether it was a good way to network as a businessman or just an after-work pastime, venues had multiple attendees arriving by vehicle.
When we consider this fact alone, commuters have been unknowingly polluting the environment for decades just to get from point A to B. Traffic congestion, muffler fumes, noise and light pollution- years of damage that should’ve been avoided.
The fight for a clean and brighter future started around the mid-60s, a time when environmental activists decided to take a stand. Canada, a country renowned for having the freshest air you would find on the planet, has taken the same stance by opting for gambling that’s more online-focused.
Since there are many forms of electronic machines to stake on, it’s an effective measure to reduce the number of machines that stay running on standby 24 hours a day. To prepare for the eventual shift to online play, the world’s combined efforts will hopefully reduce the amount of gambling-related e-waste.
The Environmental Impact of Traditional Casinos
As Canada thrives with a growing population of more than 40 million residents, the demand for energy increases with newly built infrastructure needing to take place. Just like the conditions you would find in the United Kingdom, the cold climate can be quite unforgiving and requires heating sources to stay on for extended periods.
The same can be mentioned for Canada’s 90 land-based casinos operating across the country. With hardly any downtime, the size of these gambling venues is quite substantial, especially when it’s one combined with a hotel or resort. This means that lighting, air conditioning, filtering, music and various machines (which include slots) have to stay in operation 24/7.
Doing this while on a scale of 90 brick and mortar establishments creates an excess in energy wasted and unwanted harm to the environment (it’s much more sobering when taking into account the world’s number of physical gambling venues).
It’s worth noting that Canada has started to take action with Casino Niagara in Ontario as one of many good examples. The business holds a 4 Green Keys certification, which celebrates the institution’s strict practices to eliminate garbage by recycling, monitoring their sustainability practices and much more.
How Online Gambling Reduces Carbon Footprint
Large and bulky gambling machines are slowly becoming outdated and practically obsolete in the modern era. This is especially true when compared to how convenient playing wager games online has become. While early instances of online casinos first arrived on the World Wide Web in the early ’90s, it was the perfect alternative to having to take a drive to the venue just to bet.
It goes without saying that having to wear certain attire as a requirement is already tedious to many. If we consider peak times, it would be more efficient to have physical casino establishments run from 6 pm to midnight on weekdays and 10 am to 3 am on weekends.
Technological changes are a form of evolution that should benefit mankind, and they can already be seen in the way we stay in contact. An array of digital platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp has made it easier for us to stay connected just by using a laptop or mobile device.
The fact that online casinos are so convenient to sign up and play within the same web platform, it makes logical sense that we should be looking towards a reformed way of gambling with the carbon footprint in mind. It’s also worth noting that the fewer brick-and-mortar establishments there are, the less maintenance will be needed.
Paperless Transactions safer and greener
While much of the modern world has adapted to paperless transactions, Canada continues to take the initiative for businesses in the country to follow suit. It might seem like a small matter, however, paper has become an object that’s easily discarded and wasted. To combat this trend, businesses try to conduct their transactions via the internet’s digital platform.
Documents can be securely viewed on-screen and can be sent to email as a personal backup. It’s a positive step for the environment and ensures that far less paper needs to be manufactured for business use.
Mobile devices are powerful mini-computers capable of handling HD streaming, multiple downloads, and even transactions made through e-wallets. Launched in 2011, Google was recognised as the first company to adapt the e-wallet system to a mobile platform.
As an easy way to pay for goods and services like online betting, e-wallets revolutionised how banks work as well as the way we regularly do transactions. It also makes mobile devices one of the biggest contributors to a paperless environment and a way to lower the carbon footprint by opting to gamble online.
Canada’s Green Tech Integration in Online Gaming
Online gambling in Canada has been taking leaps toward a carbon-neutral future by optimising servers to run sustainably. It’s estimated that more than 70% of the country’s required energy is produced through hydroelectricity. Another 83% comes from renewable energy, which includes wind, nuclear, hydro and solar power, all sustained in the form of non-GHG (non-greenhouse gas).
Recognised as the world’s third-largest promoter of hydroelectricity, it’s a welcoming surprise to see land-based as well as online casinos in Canada take action. While land-based establishments are opting for greener initiatives such as solar power, sites like GreenPlay Casino are following similar trends with solar and energy-optimised servers.
Businesses in the industry are also starting to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their systems. The tech is already growing at a substantial rate and may soon be fully integrated with quantum processing, also known as Quantum AI. With its advanced computing capabilities, QAI will make it possible to calculate the most power-efficient ways to lower the carbon footprint, amongst other greener processes.
The Future of Sustainable Gambling in Canada
With a compact yet well-organised structure that promotes a greener future, land and online casinos could be seen as a proof-of-concept for other businesses to undertake. Even with something as simple as going paperless, new and existing businesses can reduce their carbon footprint by reworking the way they operate.
Manufacturers like Samsung and Nvidia have been focused on releasing hardware that promotes increased performance with reduced power usage. Air Conditioners from Samsung are also notable with smart features like Windfree Cooling that uses 77% less energy than Fast Cooling- another green feature. Natural light and insulation could be used instead of electricity, and even water systems can be redirected to improve vegetation and greenery within and around business complexes.
Staff should also be trained to practice sustainability, which includes not leaving any machines or electrical devices running unnecessarily. While casinos in Canada continue to progress further into an environmentally friendly future, all these small steps will hopefully make a big positive change for our planet.