How much energy does it take to power a casino?
How much power does a casino consume, and can we make the industry more sustainable and less energy intensive?
Casinos are a constant hive of activity, buzzing with energy; their bright lights and musical slot machines, not to mention the ever-present air conditioning, consume roughly 18,000 kWh daily – enough to power 1,500 homes.
High energy consumption
A single slot machine consumes roughly 1,200 kWh a year, about the same as an average household fridge, according to CasinoTopsOnline. It may not seem like much but combine all the slot machines in all the casinos along the Las Vegas Strip and the daily energy consumption reaches the equivalent of 320,000 homes – around 20% of the city’s total electricity.
Several factors contribute to this huge energy demand, including 24/7 air conditioning, and the demands of lighting and gaming that continuously draw power. It can cost up to $100K per month to power these casinos, depending on weather conditions and special events.
The Luxor Beam consumes 3,600 kWh a day – enough to power 300 homes – and costs around $51 per hour to operate, while the Bellagio Fountains uses an estimated 16 million kWh annually, enough to power around 1,500 homes for a year, with an annual operating cost of $5 million. The Fremont Street Experience has 12.5 million LED lights and a sound system that requires 550,000 watts of energy; it uses about 13,200 kWh a day, which could power over 1,100 homes daily.
Creating sustainable casinos
Online casinos operate with a fraction of the energy costs; there are no physical buildings to operate – no lights, no air conditioning – meaning their energy consumption is reduced by up to 70-80%. Running an online casino server can require 40-50 kWh daily, equivalent to the daily energy consumption of fours homes; this makes them a much more sustainable alternative.
But what about physical casinos? Major gambling hubs like Las Vegas will continue to grow, and so will their electricity demand, and their greenhouse gas emissions. Solar power and energy-efficient technology could make casinos more sustainable and reduce these emissions.
A commercial solar panel installation generates around 1,500 kWh per month, enough to power 50 homes; approximately 1,200 solar panels would be needed to power a large Las Vegas casino. MGM Resorts are setting new standards for energy efficiency in the world of casinos, paving the way for other casinos to follow suit for a greener future.
They have installed a 100-megawatt solar array to supply 90% of its Las Vegas properties; they have also managed to reduce their energy consumption by 41%, a figure they hope to increase to 50% by 2030 by MGM replacing around 1.5 million lights with energy-efficient LEDs, integrating smart building controls to automate energy systems and implementing efficient HVAC systems, such as ventilation control and heat recovery measures.