Staff Reporter
They may serve us regular helpings of industry leading online slots, but Microgaming takes a very particular pride in being an environmentally and socially forward thinking company too. It has just been announced that the firm – who are based in Douglas on the Isle of Man – has received a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method rating of ‘excellent’ for their brand new HQ complex.
Sprawling over 45 000 square feet, the new offices are pretty much any environmentalists dream – and also sound like a pretty amazing place to work. The BREEAM report highlighted a number of non-standard additions that the company had put into place under their own steam, and likely at considerable extra expense. Highlights of these include:
* Smart lighting which automatically dims the brightness depending on the time of day.
* Recycling facilities on every floor in a bid to reduce landfill waste.
* Intelligent heating controls that stabilize the ambient temperature around the year.
* Great use of reclaimed and recycled building materials across the building’s entire interior.
* Dining facilities now use reusable, washable cups instead of disposables.
It’s yet another award for the burgeoning Microgaming trophy case, but the fact is that they do seem also to be a really great company to work for. Tech companies often have the Mickey taken out of them for being glorified play rooms stocked with golf ball chairs suspended from the ceiling, pin pong tables and hammocks. Well, Microgaming may not stretch quite that far – they prefer the free pool tables, staff library and providing their staff with an exclusive Microgaming coffee blend to sip on the outdoor picnic tables (made from reclaimed materials of course!).
All this is thoroughly heart-warming news, so next time you play slots for real cash jackpots at All Slots Casino you can spare a thought for the stress, overworked software designers who brought you those amazing games to play! In all seriousness, Microgaming is one of the best casino game producers to work for – which is undoubtedly one of the reasons why they have a knack of attracting the best talent in the industry.
It is also worth noting that Microgaming does much more than just feathering their own nests. Since the company set up shop on the Isle of Man they have done their best to give back to the community. This has seen them sponsor a variety of local initiatives to the tune of thousands of pounds a year. Many of these have been environmentally focused while others have been aimed towards opening up social opportunities.
The Play It Forward scheme was set up in 2014 with the intention of promoting ways to enhance the social life of the community and especially getting people more active. So far they have established ‘The Cavaliers’ basketball team who play across the Manx league, recently provided major funding for up and coming young Paralympic swimmers, a multi-distance winter cross country run, as well as smaller scale support for local tennis, golf, bowling and badminton clubs. Just to cap it all off, since 2013 Microgaming has been sponsoring the annual half and full Manx Marathons, attracting nation and world wide attention to the region.
There are many more initiatives which Microgaming are also involved in. Blood donations, breast cancer support and education services, educational awareness about the importance of sustainable energy, Save the Rhino… the list goes on.
Given that the online gaming industry generates nearly 20% of the island’s entire GDP it’s nice to see a cool company such as Microgaming being so ‘right on’. Their total charitable donations currently amount to around £120 000, four times what it was a couple of years ago and hopefully likely to continue growing as their games become ever more popular.
