A casino’s electricity use for lighting accounts for as much as 30 percent of its total usage, the largest single item, according to sustainablebusinesstoolkit.com. That’s an awful lot of lights considering all of the other items in a casino that require juice.

Taking that into consideration, since adopting a green strategy back in 2008, Niagara Falls Casinos have seen their carbon footprint steadily decline. The most recent addition to the strategy is the energy efficient lighting that has been adopted by the casinos. The Niagara Sustainability Initiative (NSI) did not overlook that fact and on May 24 at the organization’s annual Evening of Recognition, recognized the casino’s efforts with its Greatest Greenhouse Gas Reduction Award.

According to the NSI, between 2014 and 2015, the casinos have reduced absolute carbon dioxide (CO2)-equivalent emissions and lighting energy consumption by 736 tonnes. Niagara Casinos director of communications, Greg Medulun, said, “We continue to make great progress in our environmental goals every year, and this award serves as an acknowledgement that our commitment to green practices is heading in the right direction,” and, “Switching to more energy-efficient lighting is just one piece of our overall sustainability effort, which includes initiatives across the entire organization,” according to NiagaraThisWeek.

A new phase of lighting upgrades completed by the casinos over the past year has converted more than 5,000 fixtures in its casinos to light-emitting diode (LED) technology. In front-of-house washroom facilities and throughout the entire third-floor gaming area at Casino Niagara, lighting was retrofitted. And at Fallsview Casino, nearly 3,000 fixtures were changed in restaurants and on the gaming floor. Lighting enhancements were also made to the casino’s hotel washrooms, hallways, and 10-story parking garage.

Niagara Casinos has partnered with The Carbon Project, NSI’s flagship program, since 2014. The program is voluntary and provides tools, services, and networking opportunities to aid companies in reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Niagara Casinos is a monitoring member and such has established a baseline for fuel and energy usage at both of the properties, owned by Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), and reduces its carbon footprint by continuously complying usage data that identifies ways to do so.

The two Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada casinos share the Falls with neighboring Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino in New York.