Atlantic City Casino Affected by MGM Resorts Cyber Security Issue

Earlier this week, MGM Resorts International announced an ongoing issue with cybersecurity affecting several of its properties. In the mix is the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. The casino has been dealing with computer system issues since Sunday, including problems with payment processing and MGM Rewards accounts. The casino has yet to announce if the problems stem from a cyberattack.

Since the systems went down via MGM Resorts International on Sunday, an investigation into the matter has been ongoing. Cybersecurity experts were brought in to help try and determine why the systems went down. The website of MGM Resorts is down, and the MGM Rewards app is not available as well.

Services provided by NJ casinos like the Borgata Casino were shut down as the cyber issue began. Patrons were unable to use digital room keys or make hotel reservations. Restaurant reservations were also affected. Casinos like the Borgata rely heavily on computer technology to function, so it caused a major breakdown of services when the issue began.

A statement was issued by MGM Resorts online Monday morning to note that an investigation is underway and law enforcement has been alerted of the issue. Action was taken to protect the company’s systems and data, including shutting down certain systems.

Oddly enough, the cybersecurity issues did not affect the sports betting and online casino sector of MGM Resorts. BetMGM sportsbook and online casino were not harmed in any way. It seems the issue was strictly with land-based services only. It is unclear if this was due to the type of systems used or not.

MGM Resorts and Entain plc own the BetMGM brand. Borgata also operates online gaming and sports betting, and its services were not affected. It will be interesting to see if any issues arise in the future or if this problem only exists with retail services.

It would not be surprising to find that the cyber problem of MGM Resorts stems from a cyberattack. Hackers often target casinos due to the large amount of data they house and money exchanged.

Thousands of people travel to casinos on a regular basis to enjoy dining, entertainment, casino games, and hotel stays. Credit cards are often the source of payment, a prime target for criminals. It is not uncommon for a casino to be hit with a cyberattack and information stolen.

The latest massive breech took place in 2019 when hackers stole data from over 10 million. In the mix were casino brands, including MGM Resorts. Hackers see casinos as cash cows with a plethora of information and cash on hand.

Casinos also rely on computerized technology to do everything. Most services run on computers, including hotel keys, casino games, rewards programs, dining reservations, and more. MGM Resorts did have a backup plan in place to be able to handle customer needs during the breakdown of services, but solutions are only temporary.

It’s essential that casinos have security measures in place to protect visitors from possible attacks and ensure personal and financial information is safe. I expect MGM Resorts to provide more insight into the computer issue in the coming days. Will they find it was a security breach by hackers? Or was the issue just simply a breakdown in the computer software?

Whatever the case may be, it is a wake-up call to casino operators to have measures in place to deal with any breakdown that may occur. Patrons expect to have access to services without delay, so having a manual option in place is key to maintaining everyday operations when issues like this arise.