The advent of online casinos and gaming sites has transformed the reviews casino industry, bringing entertainment and potentially lucrative opportunities to millions around the globe with the click of a mouse. However, powering the servers, databases, and complex algorithms behind these platforms requires substantial computing resources. What many players may not realize is that all this technology has a hidden environmental impact.
Recent analysis suggests that bitcoin mining alone, which powers blockchain-based casinos and games, produces between 22 and 22.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year – similar to the greenhouse gas emissions of entire countries like Jordan and Sri Lanka. When you factor in the resources needed to power traditional fiat-based online casinos and gaming sites as well, the carbon footprint becomes even more substantial.
So how much electricity does an average online casino or gaming site, like PinoCasino, actually consume? And what is the real-world impact of these energy demands? By evaluating recent data on industry growth, server energy use, and power mix emission factors, we can quantify and contextualize the environmental footprint of the booming online gaming sector.
Rapid Industry Growth Driving Energy Demands
The first key point shaping online casinos’ and gaming sites’ energy use is the explosive growth of these platforms. Revenue across the industry has skyrocketed from $21.73 billion in 2014 to projections approaching $100 billion by 2027.
Table 1. Projected growth of global online gambling market
| Year | Projected Market Size |
| 2022 | $72.02 billion |
| 2023 | $81.71 billion |
| 2024 | $92.89 billion |
| 2025 | $106.13 billion |
| 2026 | $121.72 billion |
| 2027 | $139.87 billion |
As revenues and more players increase, the demand for computing power grows. Industry estimates suggest that a mid-sized gambling company may operate 300-500 servers while large operators have server counts in the thousands.
High Server Power Consumption
These servers powering online casinos and gaming sites are extremely energy intensive. Research shows an average server has power demands between 100W and 500W when active. With thousands of these high-powered machines running 24/7, costs can be substantial.
By combining server power draw estimates with approximate server counts per operator, we can quantify total consumption:
- Small operator (50 servers) at 250W per server = 12,500W constant power
- Mid-sized operator (400 servers) at 250W per server = 100,000W constant power
- Large operator (2,000 servers) at 250W per server = 500,000W constant power
Scaled up across thousands of online casino and gaming operators globally, total electricity demand is massive.
The Impact of Power Mix Emissions
One key factor shaping the carbon emissions from these power demands is each region’s power mix. Sources like renewables, nuclear, and hydro emit less CO2 per kWh than dirtier coal and gas plants.
For context, the table below outlines sample power mix emission factors by select country:
Table 2. Grammes CO2 emitted per kWh for select countries
| Country | Grams CO2 per kWh |
| France | 50g |
| Canada | 140g |
| Germany | 420g |
| Australia | 790g |
| Poland | 790g |
| United States | 430g |
With the majority of popular online casino and gaming markets powered by fossil fuel-dependent grids, the carbon footprint of the sector’s energy appetite is substantial. Annual emissions for a mid-sized operator in the table above would equate to over 40,000 tonnes of CO2 in Australia but less than 15,000 tonnes in France, for example.
Improving Sustainability in Online Gaming
As you can see, dedicated efforts are needed to improve sustainability, with online casino and gaming emissions essentially invisible to most players. Transitioning data centers to renewable energy sources provides one avenue for reducing the environmental impact.
Meanwhile, for consumers, choosing operators that transparently report on and minimize carbon emissions can also encourage broader accountability.
As well, our collective understanding of online gaming’s resource intensity and planetary impacts remains highly imperfect. But the entertainment value and revenue generators of these platforms need not come at the cost of our shared global climate with better metrics, reporting, and conscious consumer choices.
