MGM Resorts Signs UN Water Mandate
Water is life: MGM Resorts International has earned the title of the first gambling operator to sign onto the United Nations’ CEO Water Mandate. The initiative represents a global coalition consisting of hundreds of companies dedicated to combating water crises and addressing its challenges. Up to 230 companies from various industries and global regions have already signed up.
MGM Resorts International has become the first-ever gambling operator to sign onto the United Nations’ CEO Water Mandate. ©YS-Park/Pixabay
MGM Resorts Claims It Has Already Reduced Water Consumption by 37% Between 2007 and 2021
In a significant showing of commitment to addressing the urgency of climate change, MGM Resorts International has become the first-ever major gambling operator to put its weight behind the United Nations’ recent CEO Water Mandate. The initiative acts as a global coalition of hundreds of companies which are dedicated to addressing water crises and its concomitant planetary-scale challenges.
The way the CEO Water Mandate works is by pressuring business leaders to commit to undertaking meaningful action across key sectors, and also reporting back annually on how their efforts are progressing. The mandate also seeks to identify and reduce critical water risks to the businesses which have signed on, while also taking advantage of water-related opportunities, and pushing towards water security and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
As of writing, upwards of 230 different companies hailing from a broad diversity of industries and regions around the globe have already signed up to the mandate. As for MGM Resorts, the operator in fact already set out its Global Water Policy in 2022, in which it revealed that between 2007 and 2021, the operator cut its water use down by 37% and avoided the use of 5.6 billion gallons through conservation and water-efficient building and design initiatives.
Operator Aims to Replace Over 200,000 Square Feet of Real Grass with Drought-Resistant Materials
Further water-saving wins on behalf of MGM Resorts featured in its Global Water Policy report from 2022 included replacing over 200,000 square feet of real grass on its resort properties in Las Vegas with drought-tolerant landscaping materials, installing water-efficient fixtures and equipment in guest rooms, kitchens and laundry facilities, and increasing the efficiency of Las Vegas cooling tower systems to reduce evaporative loss.
Marking the occasion of MGM signing the UN CEO Water Mandate agreement, MGM Resorts chief executive and president Bill Hornbuckle relayed the particular challenges of conserving water in Las Vegas’ arid desert environment:
“Given our environmental conditions, Las Vegas has long been innovative in its approach to water. We are fortunate to do business in a place that has a world class water management system and hope to help others learn from successes here.”– Bill Hornbuckle, Chief Executive and President, MGM Resorts,Press Release
Hornbuckle evoked the recurring droughts in the United States as a driving force behind the need to take action, claiming the operator was deeply proud to be endorsing the CEO Water Mandate:
“The ongoing drought and effects of climate change in the Western US are a wake-up call that we need to do more, and to that end. We’re proud to endorse the CEO Water Mandate to not only share what we’ve learned in Las Vegas, but also help strengthen our commitments.”
BetMGM Finally Launched in Massachusetts in February 2023
In other recent BetMGM news, BetMGM finally launched its retail sports betting offering in Massachusetts, after the regulated market launched on Tuesday, January 31st, 2023. The first legal wager in the state was put down on the very same day at the BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge located at the MGM Springfield physical retail location in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Sports betting fans can enjoy a 45-foot LED viewing wall and four betting windows at the BetMGM Sportsbook & Lounge at MGM Springfield. Category 1 license-holders were given the permission to launch and operate sports betting by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) after much waiting.
Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, who placed the state’s inaugural bet, praised the team he collaborated closely with in order to make the launch of retail sports betting in the state possible:
“Yet another first for our city of Springfield (the City of Firsts) and for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This has been a long time coming and brings yet another chapter of innovation to enhance the operations and development at MGM Springfield. As a strong proponent of MGM Springfield and their marquee Sports Betting Lounge, which will bring more jobs and economic spin-off effect to Springfield and the region, I am honored to join with MGM Springfield President Chris Kelley, BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt, MGM Resorts VP Chris Gumiela, and Bruins Legend and Hall of Famer Ray Bourque, to make the first sports wager in the state – maybe I’ll pick a winner for the Super Bowl.”– Domenic J. Sarno, Mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts, Press Release
BetMGM Donated $180,000 to Help Fund Gambling Harm Research in December 2022
Further proving its commitment to benevolent causes, BetMGM pledged $180,000 in December 2022 to aid the International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) and its continued research efforts and educational programs surrounding the issue of harmful gambling.
For a little background, the International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) was established all the way back in 1996 and has worked together on a diverse series of research projects, publishing several peer-reviewed scientific journals on the theme of responsible gambling.
BetMGM’s senior manager of responsible gaming, Richard Taylor, emphasized the centrality of harmful gambling research to the casino and sports betting giant:
“Investment into research around responsible gaming is key to our continued education and commitment to providing best-in-class experiences and programs, as well as to ensuring a sustainable industry. This ground-breaking research will not only provide valuable learnings to BetMGM but will also serve as a guide for the industry and key stakeholders.”
