Las Vegas and Atlantic City are moving beyond slot machines and neon to retool land-based casinos for a new era of guests, profitability and public scrutiny. In January 2026, MGM Resorts announced it is now powering up to 100% of its daytime Las Vegas Strip electricity with solar energy – a milestone that highlights how major operators are pairing sustainability investments with large-scale property upgrades. The change comes as several East Coast operators and urban developers announce fresh renovation and entertainment projects aimed at luring visitors back to physical resorts.
Sustainability Meets the Strip
MGM Resorts’ January 20, 2026 announcement says the company began receiving power from a 115 MW solar array and 400 MWh of battery storage in December 2025, enabling daytime operations across its Las Vegas properties to run on renewable energy. Company leaders framed the move as both a climate goal accelerator and a hedge against volatile energy costs – a strategic pivot that may reshape operating models for high-energy venues across the industry. The full release is available from MGM’s newsroom: MGM Resorts Powers Up to 100% of Daytime Las Vegas Strip Electricity with Solar.
Industry analysts say the significance goes beyond PR. “Large-scale solar plus storage changes the calculus for lighting, HVAC and major entertainment rigs that run during prime hours,” one sustainability consultant told investors in January. For operators, renewables can reduce long-term overhead and bolster their ESG credentials at a time when investors and regulators pay closer attention to environmental performance.
Entertainment-First Renovations in Atlantic City
While Las Vegas doubles down on decarbonization, Atlantic City is leaning into experiential reinvention. Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa announced a partnership with Big Night Entertainment Group to convert its former Premier Nightclub into an 18,000-square-foot live-entertainment venue slated to open in summer 2026. The project follows a broader wave of reinvestment across the board – Resorts Casino Hotel launched major capital improvements in January 2026 to replace aging cooling towers and restore façade elements, efforts operators describe as necessary to preserve competitiveness in a crowded regional market.
Those renovations arrive alongside transportation moves intended to improve access: Allegiant Air added non-stop Florida flights to Atlantic City International Airport in late 2025 and early 2026, a boost casino executives expect will widen leisure catchment areas and support tourism-linked revenue.
What This Means for Land-Based Gaming
The convergence of sustainability projects, entertainment-driven redevelopment and infrastructure upgrades signals a strategic realignment. Operators are investing to make resorts destinations for concerts, nightlife and non-gaming spending – not just gambling. At the same time, investments like MGM’s solar-and-storage project spotlight a new operational priority: lowering exposure to energy price swings and aligning with investor and public expectations on carbon.
Regulatory and tribal issues remain an overlay. Projects that rely on off-reservation deals or contentious approvals continue to face uncertainty, underscoring that not every redevelopment plan reaches fruition quickly. Still, the momentum among well-capitalized operators suggests a durable trend: land-based casinos are reinventing themselves as multi-dimensional resorts that compete on environmental performance, diversified entertainment and guest experience.
Watch next: whether more major operators announce long-term renewable contracts or battery-backed solar projects in 2026, and how redesigned entertainment venues – starting with Atlantic City’s new Borgata-Big Night space this summer – perform in driving non-gaming revenue.