MGM First Casino Company to Sign Onto UN CEO Water Mandate

Posted on: February 22, 2023, 04:45h. 

Last updated on: February 22, 2023, 05:07h.

Todd Shriber @etfgodfather Read More
Expertise: Financial, Gaming Business, Mergers and Acquisitions.

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) announced that it’s the first casino operator to join the United Nations’ (UN) CEO Water Mandate — a collection of multinational companies working to address water shortages and related issues.

MGM Water
The fountains at the Bellagio Las Vegas. Operator MGM signed onto the UN CEO Water Mandate. (Image: Vegas Food & Fun)

Given that it’s a Las Vegas-based company and the largest operator on the Strip, MGM is among the corporate pioneers — regardless of industry — in water conservation efforts.

Given our environmental conditions, Las Vegas has long been innovative it 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,” said MGM Resorts CEO and President Bill Hornbuckle in a statement.

The UN’s CEO Water Mandate is currently endorsed by 235 companies from around the world. Familiar US-based firms on the list, in addition to MGM, include Coca-Cola, Ford, General Mills, Facebook parent Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Starbucks, and Whirlpool.

MGM Prioritizes Water Issues

MGM joining the UN CEO Water Mandate is the latest sign of the operator’s commitment to water-related issues. Last year, the casino giant was lauded for its efforts to combat change by environmental nonprofit CDP, earning an “A” grade from that group.

The Mandalay Bay operator was one of just 103 corporations to earn the same mark for its water conservation plans. MGM reached its previously announced 2025 goal to trim water use by 30% per square foot in 2019.

The company’s water conservation efforts, which have paid off to the tune of 5.6 billion gallons saved, include low-flush toilets, low-flow showerheads, sensors or timers on faucets, and water-efficient appliances.

“In 2022, MGM Resorts finalized its global water policy, an outline of how water will be resourced and managed across all global operations. Between 2007 and 2021, MGM Resorts reduced water use by 37% and avoided [the] use of 5.6 billion gallons through conservation and water-efficient building and design initiatives,” according to the statement.

More Water Conservation Efforts

While MGM operates casino hotels across the US, its home market in drought-stricken Las Vegas represents the bulk of its domestic business. With both Lake Mead and Lake Powell at their lowest levels in decades, water conservation is a critical issue for gaming companies.

For its part, MGM is also replacing 200,000 square feet of real grass at its Las Vegas properties with less water-intensive landscaping.

Those moves and others come at a time when water issues are catching the eyes of politicians across the US. In Nevada, a Republican assembly member recently proposed a bill that would bar restaurants from offering water to patrons unless they request it. That practice is already in place at many Las Vegas-area eateries, including those inside casino hotels.