Climate Protection

We fully recognize our ecological responsibility and make an active contribution to protecting the environment.

We constantly strive to improve environmental protection in our group in all key areas in order to keep our impact on the environment as low as possible. In doing so, we adhere as a matter of course to all relevant environmental protection laws and regulations.

To continually reduce our environmental footprint, we strive to be energy efficient, draw increasingly on renewable energy sources and make sustainable use of resources. Environmentally-conscious action begins with each and every one of our employees. We do our utmost to ensure that our employees think and act in a sustainable manner in both their working and their private lives.

Climate protection is one of the biggest global and regional challenges of our time. At the Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries Group, we have set ourselves the goal of making a significant contribution to tackling this problem. Our mission here is to act in an environmentally and energy-efficient manner at all levels.

Energy Efficiency as Contribution to Climate Protection

In 2017, total energy consumption for the Casinos Austria and Austrian Lotteries Group amounted to 44,313,279 kWh. Around 16% of this energy was consumed in our headquarters at Rennweg 44 and 46 in Vienna (including the internal computing center) and in our computer center in Wiener Neustadt; around 76% of this energy was consumed in our casinos and 7% in our WINWIN outlets.

At 31,015,806 kWh and with a total share of around 70 percent, the group’s electricity consumption had the largest impact on the environment. In 2017, we purchased 93% of our electricity from renewable sources. In 2018, our goal is to purchase 100% of our electricity from renewable sources.

Our electricity consumption stems above all from the operation of our computer centers, the slot machines in our casinos and the video lottery terminals in our WINWIN outlets. The statutory requirements that slot machines and VLTs be connected to the Austrian Federal Computer Center and that slot machines remain switched on around the clock have resulted in a huge increase in energy requirements. In 2017, our WINWIN outlets obtained authorization to switch off the VLTs outside business hours. Casinos Austria is likewise seeking to obtain such authorization.

The remainder of our energy consumption stems from fuels, district heating supplies and heating energy as well as from the energy-intensive cooling of technical equipment in our computer centers and offices/rooms in our operations.

To continually reduce our energy requirements, we introduced the following measures in 2017:

  • The latest energy efficiency technology was used in the construction of our 16th WINWIN outlet in Bischofshofen. The rooms in this outlet are equipped with zone regulators to regulate the air conditioning and heating as required. This reduces electricity consumption by over 50% compared to other outlets of a similar size.
  • Climate protection measures were introduced at our 12 casinos in Austria. In the refurbishments of Casino Graz (completed in fall 2017) and Casino Salzburg particular attention was placed on energy efficiency. The project to switch to LED lighting in our casinos was also continued throughout the year.
  • The energy meters in our MC4 warehouse in Wiener Neustadt were extended to ensure better energy management. The old air-conditioning pumps were replaced with new, more energy-efficient models. LED lighting was also installed in the high-bay warehouse. In 2018, we plan to replace the cooling unit at the MC4 site.
  • We extended the number of charging stations for electric vehicles at the Rennweg 44 building in Vienna to eight. All members of staff can make use of these charging stations.

Our IT landscape also became “greener” through our focus on low electricity consumption and higher performance “Green IT”.

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