Green Both On and Off the Table: Poker and Corporate Social Responsibility

Engaging in corporate social responsibility efforts has never been more critical for businesses, especially in an age when unprecedented environmental disasters continue to affect people worldwide. According to a recent report, 100 companies alone are responsible for over 70% of greenhouse gas emissions in the last 20 years. This highlights the pressing need for businesses to amp up initiatives aimed at making a positive social and environmental impact.

This is particularly true for the global poker industry, which boasts a 13.6% compound annual growth rate and is among the strongest markets today. Several high-stakes tournaments held in major international locations make poker a highly prolific enterprise. However, these poker tournaments can generate vast amounts of waste, whether it’s through carbon emissions from flights or waste from tournament attendees.

Thankfully, the industry is taking extra steps toward implementing green initiatives, sustainability efforts, and community empowerment in its high-stakes games. Below, we look at how the poker industry is boosting corporate social responsibility:

Keeping environmental sustainability in mind 

The annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) event, considered the pinnacle of all poker tournaments, is leading the way in sustainable practices. For instance, the WSOP has implemented efforts to reduce paper usage by transitioning to digital registration and payment processes. Caesars, the company that hosts the WSOP’s flagship live tournament series, established the CodeGreen Initiative in 2008, which includes efforts to reduce waste water and energy usage. As a result, Caesars has cut down its greenhouse emissions by 23% since 2011 and water consumption by 11% since 2008. The WSOP also collaborated with the One Drop Foundation in 2012, which provides safe water and sanitation to underserved communities around the globe.

Poker platforms can also partner with locations that promote sustainability efforts for their tournaments. Take the US poker platform ACR Poker, which organizes several high-stakes tournaments across the globe. Last year, ACR Poker held its Punta del Este Satellite event, which gave participants a chance to win one of the 10 packages that could earn them a spot in the $500,000 GTD Enjoy Poker Tour Main Event 2025. The event took place at Punta del Este Resort and Casino, located along the Atlantic coast — a hotel that follows a sustainability plan. The hotel’s sustainability efforts include ensuring its operations have a positive environmental impact and partnering with organizations that promote environmental care.

Meanwhile, American investor and poker player David Einhorn has also implemented sustainability efforts through poker. He organized the Greenlight Capital Charity Poker Tournament, an event that raises funds for charitable organizations that promote environmental sustainability measures. The tournament also serves as an avenue where players or attendees can heighten their environmental awareness.

Aside from supporting environmental sustainability, poker tournaments have also been organized to fund initiatives empowering underserved communities. Here are some examples:

Charitable poker gaming

The NBA basketball team Golden State Warriors is no stranger to intersecting poker with charity efforts. Last year, it held the 10th annual Warriors Community Foundation Poker Tournament presented by MGM Grands, which garnered a record-high $3.5 million. All net proceeds raised in the Warriors’ poker tournament will be given to Bay Area non-profits as part of the annual grant cycle of the Warriors Community Foundation. Since its establishment in 2012, the Warriors Community Foundation has raised over $35 million in funding to support and empower the educational development of the youth.

In New Hampshire, games of chance also play a pivotal role in raising funds for non-profit organizations and charities. In fact, New Hampshire poker card rooms and casinos donated more than $17.7 million to charities in 2022. This initiative is mandated by House Bill 1744, which permits casinos in New Hampshire to operate with the obligation of paying 35% of gross gaming revenues to charity and 10% to the New Hampshire Lottery to fund public education. Charities supported by poker and roulette games range from food banks and women’s shelters to the N.H. Wildlife Federation, ensuring poker’s commitment to community development and environmental consciousness.

By organizing tournaments supporting environmental conservation and community empowerment efforts, the poker industry is taking its place among socially responsible businesses that create a lasting positive impact. For more articles on the environment, visit The Environmental Magazine website.