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Eyebrow: 
ECO-GAMBLING

Poker Face

Submitted by tmeronek on Thu, 07/02/2009 - 12:00am.
Roulette
The Bite:
Think you blow too much pocket green every time you gamble? No doubt - but while the house might always win, slick eco-gambling swag and new lux green casinos will make you forget that they just called your bluff. Check 'em out just in time for the Texas Hold 'Em World Championship.
The Benefits: 
  • Inscrutable eco-friendliness. Gear made from materials such as recycled felt (tables), FSC-certified wood (chips), and certified sustainable paper (playing cards) look just like the props you're used to using.
  • Up the ante. Supporting casinos that reclaim wastewater, save A/C, or use electric vehicles might just convince some of the other biggies to follow suit.
  • Nothing to hide. These casinos and gear offer all the trimmings (prizes! spas! real wood!) with a little less eco-guilt.
Personally Speaking: 
Heather's won big at online craps; she's now convinced that free online gaming is a conspiracy created by casinos: Players get to thinking they're really good, but when they switch to the real thing, whoops - there goes the loot.
Wanna Try: 
Gear
  • EGM Green - for wannabe high rollers: sustainable gaming tables and furniture made from certified sustainable wood, recycled aluminum, and felt - they can actually earn you LEED credits ($5,000/poker table).
  • Used Slot Machines - used slot machines = fewer resources used to make new ones ($699 and up).
  • Bicycle Eco-Edition Deck - the number one playing card maker in the world now has cards made from sustainable paper, cornstarch laminate, and veggie-based inks ($5).
  • eBay - get your used poker chips (in many cases, cool vintage ones) here (prices vary).

Casinos
  • Palazzo - the largest LEED-certified building in the United States; has solar pool heating and superefficient autotemperature adjustment in its hotel rooms (Las Vegas).
  • MGM CityCenter (Las Vegas) and Revel Casino Resort (Atlantic City) - soon-to-open green casinos, both seeking LEED certification.
  • Barona Resort & Casino - recycles more than 90% of its wastewater, landscapes with low-water native plants, and has electric maintenance vehicles (San Diego).
  • Chumash Casino - retrofitted its slot machines with LEDs, installed low-flow water toilets and showerheads, and collects its kitchen grease for use as biodiesel (Santa Ynez, CA).
  • Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel - designed to maximize natural light, its parking lots are made with recycled materials, and its slot machines use less energy than most (Williamsburg, MI).
  • Casino Del Rio - this online casino's HQ does recycling and waste-energy monitoring, and plants a tree for every new player.

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