Recently, the iGaming industry has been making significant strides in sustainability, with companies like Betway investing in renewable energy projects and optimizing their data centres. This shift toward more eco-friendly practices has been driven by regulatory pressures, ethical considerations, and a recognition of the broader benefits to business health. Additionally, platforms are adopting cloud gaming technologies which reduce physical hardware needs, while also promoting blockchain technology and incorporating environmental messages into game content.
In recent years, the expression “going green” has moved beyond a mere trend to become a crucial part of the corporate culture across various industries. Even industries that you least expect to be pioneering this shift in attitudes are playing their part in the global sustainability drive. The iGaming industry, in particular, has put its best foot forward when it comes to making socially responsible and eco-friendly strides. It’s increasingly adopting sustainable practices and features to minimize its carbon footprint, save energy, and support fair trade.
iGaming companies initially joined the sustainability journey due to mounting regulatory pressure and ethical considerations. However, this has evolved, and many businesses are now recognizing the broader advantages of integrating sustainability into their operations. Notably, this can help improve their financial performance, minimize risks, engage customers, and enhance overall business resilience.
One example is Betway. The online gaming company had primarily focused on encourage responsible gambling, but it eventually extended its efforts to include broader sustainability aims and in the process, became a trailblazer for eco-friendly practices in the industry. They started pursuing a carbon-neutral strategy, investing in renewable energy projects to offset the carbon emissions they couldn’t avoid. For instance, they support wind and solar initiatives in developing countries, which not only helps offset their emissions but also makes renewable energy more accessible to communities in these nations.
Furthermore, these online platforms are increasingly networked to achieve more efficient server use, resulting in lower energy consumption. Data centres, which are integral parts of iGaming operations, consume huge amounts of energy. Consequently, gaming companies are gradually optimizing their data centres to be more energy-efficient and are increasingly considering environmentally friendly cooling solutions, such as air-side and water-side economizers. The latter uses the outside air to cool the data centre, which significantly reduces the amount of energy needed to maintain the right temperature and humidity levels, leading to lower carbon emissions.
It’s also worth mentioning the use of cloud gaming technologies. This not only ensures smoother game-play for gamers and allows them to play games on lower-end hardware but also adds to the sustainability of the industry as it reduces the need for physical hardware, therefore saving energy and reducing electronic waste. For instance, platforms such as Google Stadia and Microsoft’s Project xCloud are increasingly turning to the cloud to offer their users a seamless gaming experience.
In addition to these, the industry is also championing the adoption of blockchain technology, which revolutionizes the market by bringing transparency, thereby eliminating fraud and unethical practices that can be harmful not only for the users but also for the environment. It further allows the creation of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) used in many online games today, which can promote fair trade practices within the gaming industry.
Moreover, sustainability is increasingly becoming a factor in game content too. Developers are often incorporating environmental messages into their games to encourage a more mindful approach to environmental issues. By weaving relevant environmental narratives into the gameplay, these games can raise awareness and promote environmentally responsible action.
Though still small, these steps by iGaming companies reflect the wider societal shift toward eco-friendly and sustainable practices. The industry still has a long way to go, but with the continuous demand for eco-friendly products and technology from consumers, it won’t be long before we see more gaming companies adopting green strategies and setting new standards for sustainability in their industry.
Sources:
Betway. (2020). Our Approach to Sustainability. Retrieved from https://betwaygroup.com/sustainability/our-approach/
Gough, C. (2019). Energy consumption in data centers and potential savings. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/732880/worldwide-data-center-energy-consumption/
Kumar, N. (2020). The Future of Gaming: How cloud gaming will disrupt the videogame industry. Deloitte Insights. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/technology/future-of-cloud-gaming.html
Peck, M. E. (2018). How blockchain is revolutionizing gaming. IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved from https://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/networks/how-blockchain-is-revolutionizing-gaming
